A recent incident has sparked widespread outrage after a photo of Jesus Christ was prominently placed on the award certificates of a government-organised sports event. The incident occurred on August 9 during a sports meet organised for pre-university colleges in Hanur Taluk, in Chamarajanagara district, under the joint auspices of Christaraja Pre-university College and St Mary’s Pre-Graduate College.
The controversy erupted when the award certificates distributed to the winners featured a photo of Jesus Christ instead of the official government logo. The certificates, meant to recognise students’ achievements in the taluk-level sports competition, quickly went viral on social media, leading to widespread condemnation and calls for accountability.
This act has been criticised for violating the secular principles of government institutions. The event was a government-organised program, and the inclusion of a religious symbol on the certificates is being seen as an inappropriate and divisive act that threatens the religious neutrality of the state. Concerns have been raised that such actions could alienate students from other religious backgrounds and undermine the inclusive nature of government programs.
In response to the incident, the school department and the college administration organising the event were notified. They have been directed to explain within three days, detailing how this oversight occurred and what steps will be taken to rectify the situation.
Both Christaraja and St. Mary’s Pre-Graduate Colleges were responsible for conducting the pre-graduation college sports meet for the academic year 2024-25. However, the decision to replace the Karnataka Games logo with a religious image on the certificates has raised serious concerns about the adherence to government policies and the potential implications for the students and the broader community.
Chamarajanahara District Deputy Director of Public Instruction (DDPI) Manjunath, responsible for signing the certificates, expressed regret over the incident. He clarified that his signature was scanned and sent via WhatsApp for the certificates and that including a photo of Jesus Christ was included without his knowledge. “We have already notified the college management and instructed them to withdraw all the issued certificates. I have advised the students to issue a different certificate, and I deeply regret this matter,” Manjunath stated. He also assured that necessary legal action would be taken to address the issue.
The incident has highlighted the need for stricter oversight and adherence to guidelines in government-organised events to ensure that such lapses do not occur in the future. The inclusion of religious symbols in official government documentation, especially in an educational context, is not only inappropriate but also undermines the secular fabric of the state. The authorities are expected to take swift action to resolve the matter and prevent similar incidents from happening again.
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