A controversy has erupted in Lucknow after parents accused Fidelis School in Vikas Nagar of forcibly cutting off rakhis from students’ wrists during the morning prayer assembly, a day after Raksha Bandhan. The alleged act, carried out without prior notice, has sparked outrage, with parents planning a protest on Wednesday.
Parents said an announcement was made over the school microphone, instructing staff to remove rakhis from all students. Scissors were reportedly brought into classrooms, and rakhis, tied by siblings with affection, were cut off. “A rakhi is not just a thread but a symbol of love and trust,” one parent said, calling the act “deeply disrespectful to Hindu traditions.”
Local resident Premchand, who lives near the school, told reporters, “While leaving the school, I heard some children saying their rakhis had been cut. I don’t know much more, but this did happen.”
Fidelis School Principal Paul Massey issued a written denial, stating no such incident took place and that the school had, in fact, organised a rakhi-making competition before Raksha Bandhan. Security guards also blocked media attempts to meet school authorities on Tuesday, saying they would be available only on Wednesday.
Angered parents have announced they will gather at the school gates on Wednesday to stage a protest, demanding accountability from the school management.
This is not the first such controversy in Lucknow. Four months ago, St. Dominic Savio College faced protests after allegedly failing students for wearing tilak and kalawa to school. Parents claimed over 60 students, including children from Class 4 to Class 11, were failed in that academic session without academic justification.
Preeti Rai, a parent, had then alleged that the principal threatened to “make her son’s life hell” after she questioned the move. Following public pressure, the school agreed to re-examinations for the affected students.
