Chhattisgarh Teacher Suspended Over Social Media Post Questioning State Festival Amid Education Concerns

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Dhamtari, Chhattisgarh: A social media post by a teacher in Dhamtari district has sparked controversy, leading to his suspension by the district education authorities. The post, which questioned the state’s decision to celebrate its annual festival while highlighting issues in the education system, went viral and prompted immediate action.

Incident Details

The incident involves Dhaluram Sahu, an assistant teacher at Nari Primary School in Kurud Block. On October 31, Sahu posted on social media questioning the celebration of Chhattisgarh State Foundation Day, writing:

“The education system for children is in disarray, and yet we are celebrating the State Foundation Day. Are we even worthy of celebrating it? Students have not yet received complete textbooks—who is responsible for this?”

The post highlighted longstanding complaints about delayed distribution of school textbooks in government schools. Opposition parties have also criticized the government over these delays, although the Education Department maintains that textbooks are being distributed systematically.

Action Taken

Following the viral post, the District Education Officer (DEO), Abhay Jaiswal, convened a meeting and suspended the teacher. The department cited that the post violated official codes of conduct and contained remarks deemed objectionable against the administration.

State Festival Context

Chhattisgarh celebrated its State Foundation Day on November 1, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi attending the event in Raipur. Festivities continued for five days in the capital and three days in district centers, celebrating the state’s cultural heritage.

The teacher’s post raised public debate on whether celebrating the state festival is appropriate when fundamental issues, such as textbook availability in schools, remain unresolved.