Tumudibandh (Kandhamal): A day after the Headmaster of a government school in Sundargarh district landed in soup for dancing with girl students during a function on the school’s premises, a video of government officials, including a BDO, dancing with tribal women has gone viral on social media.
In the video, BDO Jayadev Das of Tumudibandha in Kandhamal district, is seen dancing with tribal women during the Peoples Empowerment – Enabling Transparency and Accountability of Odisha Initiatives (PEETHA) programme.
Even though many people raised the question whether a government official can dance during such programmes, locals pointed out that there was nothing wrong in doing so.
However, this did not go well with former Baliguda MLA Karendra Majhi who termed it as an ‘insult’ to the Kutia Kondh tribal community.
“We strongly oppose it. The way government officers are dancing with tribal women placing hands on their shoulders is condemnable,” Majhi said. He demanded the immediate arrest of the officials involved in making the video go viral on social media.
On the other hand, the District Education Officer (DEO) has ordered an inquiry into the dance by Headmaster Dilip Naik, of Kanika High School in the Hemgiri block of Sundargarh district.
Sources said a party had been organised jointly by teachers and the students on school premises.
After the party was over, when girl students danced to DJ music, Headmaster Naik joined and danced with them. Later, the video of the Headmaster dancing with the girl students went viral.
HM Naik admitted the incident. “As Sunday was a holiday, a party was organised jointly by teachers and students on school premises. When the girl students were dancing to DJ music, they dragged me too into the dance. I don’t find anything wrong in joining in the happiness of the students. It was not a vulgar dance,” Naik said.
PNN
