New Delhi: Strongly defending the practice of “Guru Puja”, Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar said in Sunday (July 13) that "offering flowers at the feet of teachers is part of Indian culture".

Arlekar’s remarks came after the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI (M))-led government in Kerala slammed a recent incident wherein 'pada puja' (feet washing rituals) were conducted in two Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) schools in the state. The state government has subsequently sought an explanation from the management of these schools.

"I don’t understand which culture these people come from,” said Governor Arlekar, questioning the state government’s criticism over the incident, reported Press Trust of India.

"Guru puja is part of our culture, where we offer flowers at the feet of our gurus... But some people have objected to it. I don’t understand which culture they belong to. If we forget our culture, we forget ourselves – we’ll be nowhere in this world," Arlekar had said while speaking at a programme organised by Balagokulam, a right-wing outfit, in Balaramapuram.

Kerala general education minister V. Sivankutty had on Saturday (July 12) expressed shock over reports that students were made to wash the feet of retired teachers. Sivakutty termed the act "condemnable" and "against democratic values".

The ritual has also been criticised by, CPI(M) state secretary M.V. Govindan, who called it part of an alleged "RSS agenda to erode Kerala’s secular and democratic fabric."

“No one is against respecting or honouring teachers. But this ritual, which was abandoned centuries ago, is rooted in feudal culture and aims to revive chaturvarnya, the ancient caste system,” Govindan said.

He added that such practices "aim to instil a slave mentality in the younger generation, especially in RSS-controlled schools."

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