Belagavi Government School Headmaster Suspended After Protest Over Classroom Facilities
Raibag, Belagavi District:
Veeranna Madivalar, the headmaster of Government Lower Primary School, Nidagundi in Raibag taluk, has been suspended by the School Education and Literacy Department after he staged a silent protest demanding additional classrooms for his students.
Madivalar had marched silently from the school to the Block Education Officer’s (BEO) office in Raibag, urging authorities to provide classroom infrastructure suitable for the school’s growing student strength. His protest aimed to ensure a better learning environment for the 146 students currently enrolled in the school.
During the protest on Tuesday, Tahsildar Suresh Munje, BEO Basavarajappa R, and local leader Jinendra Khemlapure met Madivalar and assured him that two classrooms had already been sanctioned and preparations for the new academic year were underway.
Despite the assurances, the department deemed the protest as an act of indiscipline. The BEO issued a show-cause notice to Madivalar on May 27, stating that as a government employee, he should have followed departmental procedures and submitted requests through official channels rather than publicly protesting.
The notice also alleged that Madivalar used inappropriate language during interactions with officials and submitted a representation that was not in line with the expected conduct of a government servant.
Madivalar, known for his dedication and poetic talents, is widely respected in the community for transforming a previously neglected school into a hi-tech learning space. His efforts had earned him the trust of the School Development and Monitoring Committee (SDMC) and local parents.
Despite his contributions, the department proceeded with suspension, stating that his protest embarrassed the government and violated service rules. The move has sparked discussions in the community, with many questioning the rationale behind penalizing an educator fighting for student welfare.
As the story unfolds, there is growing concern over how such actions might impact the morale of government school staff advocating for basic infrastructure and educational equity.
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