Karnataka headmaster walks 15 km barefoot for classrooms, gets suspended: Report

Hindustan Times

5 days ago

A government school headmaster in Karnataka's Belagavi has been suspended after staging a barefoot protest demanding proper classrooms for his students, many of whom are forced to study under open skies due to poor infrastructure, Indian Express reported.
Veeranna Madivalar, the headmaster of Government Lower Primary School in Nidagundi village walked 15 km barefoot last week to the Block Education Office in Raibag taluk. He also observed a hunger strike, urging authorities to act on a long-pending request to construct classrooms for the 146 students enrolled in his school, the report added.
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Despite the school being sanctioned three classrooms nearly three years ago during former education commissioner Anbukumar's tenure, construction has not yet begun. In the absence of proper infrastructure, children have been attending classes outdoors.
Madivalar, an award-winning educator who has been recognised both at the district and international level, said he resorted to a silent protest as a 'self-imposed punishment' after repeated appeals to authorities went unheard.
'This was never an agitation against the government. I only wanted a basic learning environment for the children,' he told reporters. 'Every award I've received has been used to support my students. No child should have to study under the sun or in the rain.'
However, officials did not take kindly to his methods. Days after the protest, the Block Education Officer (BEO) of Raibag taluk, Basavarajappa R, issued a suspension order, citing misconduct and violation of service rules.
According to the order, Madivalar's protest was seen as an act of defiance against the department, causing 'embarrassment to the government' and breaching the Karnataka Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 2021. The order specifically invoked Rule 9(ii), which prohibits government employees from organising or participating in strikes.
'The headmaster should have pursued official channels through written communication, not protested publicly and involved the media,' the BEO said, also noting that the protest attracted social media attention and adverse publicity.
The suspension has drawn strong criticism from education activists, parents, and local residents, who say it is unjust to penalise a teacher for highlighting the failure to provide basic infrastructure.
While the Tahsildar of Raibag had assured Madivalar during the protest that the matter would be taken up with senior officials, there has been no update on the classroom construction or reversal of the suspension order, the report further added.
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