An update on a story I brought you last week: Sanjay Salve, a teacher in India, was denied traditional pay grade increases because of his refusal to visibly pray during a school assembly. According to The Hindu, however, his fortunes may be turning around.

During a hearing of Salve’s case by the High Court, justices asked a pretty basic question — “How can a state-funded school term this indiscipline?” — which might indicate that the case may go in Salve’s favor. As I noted in the previous post, the compulsory prayer seems pretty clearly in defiance of the Indian Constitution, which reads:

No person attending any educational institution recognised by the State or receiving aid out of State funds shall be required to take part in any religious instruction that may be imparted in such institution or to attend any religious worship that may be conducted in such institution…

The school, in its own submission, argued that the inculcation of “values” was key to their educational mandate.

The case resumes on September 20.



