Parents of a government school students were up for a shock as the principal of the school, an evangelical Christian, effected an order on girl students not to wear flowers and bindi, reported leading Tamil news channel Thanti TV.

Police were summoned after the anguished parents staged an agitation outside the school, located near Nagercoil in Kanyakumari district. According to the parents, on Friday (22 June) the school’s principal Ranibai convened a students’ meeting and declared that hereafter the students should not come to school wearing bindi, flowers or with sacred threads in their hands - a Hindu practice.

The police made the principal assure the parents that she would not act against any particular religion. An enquiry into the matter was also promised by the police. The district education department officials also visited the school and conducted an investigation on Tuesday (26 June).