Valentine’s Week 2020 is underway and we are feeling a little closer to the day of love – Valentine’s Day. Love it or hate it, but you definitely can’t ignore it. But not everyone will be celebrating the day of love. Did you know that there is something called Parents Worship Day that is also apparently celebrated on February 14? Yep, you read it right.
As per a circular issued by the District Education Officer of Surat, schools in the city have been asked to organise ‘Matru-Pitru Pujan Diwas’ on February 14.
Why The Celebration?
This day has to be celebrated to help ‘cultivate Indian cultural values among school children’.
The circular read:
‘In current times the youth is blindly following those practices which are against the glorious tradition of our country. To nurture best values from childhood and to protect our culture, Mother-Father Worship Day message should be given.’
How Will Parents Worship Day Be Celebrated?
The circular came with some guidelines as to how the schools have to celebrate the Parents Worship Day.
The administration has asked the schools to invite five to ten married couples who will be worshipped by their sons/daughters studying in the school. The students will have to worship their parents with flowers and vermillion. They have to chant prayers and offer them sweets. They also have to prepare speeches about the importance of parents in their lives.
Uumm, yes, you can go back and read that again! And if you think that we’re done talking, well, there’s more.
Schools have also been asked to invite some special guests like school management committee members, social workers or local corporators, who will deliver speeches highlighting the importance of the day.
The schools have also been asked to submit a report to the District Education Office with all the details with pictures attached as proof.
District Education Officer Defended The Circular And Said…
HH Rajyaguru came out and strongly defended the circular, saying that it only asks schools to follow our tradition. The festivities will inspire the students and also create awareness about its importance, he added. However, he completely refused to elaborate on why the worship is to be specifically organised on Valentine’s Day.
How The Opposition Reacted To It
Congress criticised the move and said that everyone knows the importance of parents in our life and culture, and that the circular instructing schools to organise Parents Worship Day is just a way to divert attention from the actual problems in the school system in Gujarat. Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi called it a ‘drama’, saying that the education department should try and improve school education and not issue fatwas like these.
Facts: Parents Worship Day/ Matru-Pitru Pujan Diwas was started by Asaram Bapu in 2007 as an alternative to Valentine’s Day, which he considers ‘non-Indian’. It was first celebrated on February 14, 2007 in Asaramji Gurukul in Ahmedabad.
In 2012, some schools and colleges in Chhattisgarh started celebrating Parents Worship Day, and in 2015, the then Bharatiya Janata Party-government led by Raman Singh officially declared Valentine’s Day as Matru-Pitru Pujan Diwas.
Featured Image: Twitter
