Ignoring protocol RSS chief hoists national flag at Kerala school

News Network

January 26, 2018

Palakkad, Jan 26: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat unfurled the tricolour on Friday at a Sangh Parivar managed higher secondary school affiliated to Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) here. He did so disregarding a State government circular restricting the right to hoist the national flag on Republic Day in educational institutions across the State only to the concerned headmaster or principal.

All the 1800 students and over 200 teachers of the school had attended the ceremony in which Mr. Bhagwat was the chief guest. BJP State president Kummanam Rajasekharan and top RSS leaders in the State also attended the function, which began at 9.10 am. The event became a mammoth gathering when over 8000 cadres of RSS from across the State, who arrived at the school for a three day regional sibiram, joined the students and teachers.

In his brief republic day message, Mr. Bhagwat chose not to mention the State government circular. However, he chose the occasion to speak about evolving more nationalistic feelings to fight decisive and terrorist challenges. Mr. Bhagwat will be present at the school for two more days, attending the sibiram.

The Vyasa Vidya Peetom Higher Secondary School at Kallekkad, where Mr. Bhagwat hoisted the national flag, is run by educational wing of the RSS, the Vidya Bharati Akhil Bharatiya Shiksha Sansthan. RSS leaders said the State government had no control over the private school affiliated to CBSE. They said the Flag Code empowered any citizen of the country to hoist national flag on Republic day.

Government circular

The State government had issued a circular on January 17 laying the guidelines for hoisting the national flag on Republic Day in government and educational institutions. As per the circular, only heads of educational institutions can hoist the tricolour accompanied by the singing of national anthem.

On Independence Day last year, Mr. Bhagwat had kicked up a row by hoisting the national flag at Karnakiamman Higher Secondary School, a government-aided institution in the town, flouting an order by the District Collector.

It was only last month, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had directed the Education Department to initiate action against the Headmaster and Manager of the school for allowing Mr. Bhagwat to hoist the national flag violating the Collector’s order.

Comments

Add new comment

Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.

Udupi’s Kamini Island set for eco-friendly development to boost tourism

News Network

November 15,2024

Udupi: The Tourism Department is planning a major eco-friendly development initiative for Kamini Island, located near the Blue Flag-certified Padubidri End Point beach, aiming to attract more visitors while maintaining environmental sustainability.

Assistant Director Kumar CU emphasized that, given the island’s proximity to the Blue Flag beach, all development efforts will center around eco-friendly practices. “We are looking to enhance the Kamini River and the island’s surroundings by adding a hanging bridge, nature trails, and eco-friendly food courts offering traditional cuisine. Visitors will also be able to reach the island by pedal boats or kayaking,” he said.

The development project is estimated to cost between Rs 3 crore and Rs 4 crore. Meanwhile, the Blue Flag beach, Padubidri, continues to see a steady flow of visitors. Vijay Shetty, manager of the beach, shared that tenders for food courts and water sports have been awarded to private parties. Recently, three new coracles have been introduced, which are proving to be a hit with visitors. Additionally, three more shelters are expected to be ready by November 20.

Shetty mentioned that the beach can now accommodate between 2,500 and 3,000 visitors daily, although footfall remains lower than other district beaches due to user fees and activity restrictions. “Initially, most visitors were from Mangaluru, but now nearly 40% come from other districts, showing a shift in the visitor demographics,” Shetty noted.

To further boost tourism and promote a healthy lifestyle, a Beach Carnival is set to take place on November 23-24, featuring the National Sea Swimming Championship and a sea marathon in collaboration with the Padubidri JCI, which is celebrating its golden jubilee. Cultural events will be held at the main beach, with some sports events taking place at the Blue Flag beach. Emphasis will be placed on making all activities environmentally friendly.

Comments