Thiruvananthapuram: A teacher has been suspended for preparing a controversial question that allegedly glorified Hindutva ideologue V D Savarkar at a Freedom Quiz conducted for lower primary school students in Kasaragod.Guru Prasad, a teacher at Pallathadukka Aided Upper Primary School, was suspended following an order from the director of general education. The education department, which described the question as misleading, ordered both the suspension of the teacher and a departmental inquiry.The controversy erupted over a question included in the Freedom Quiz conducted for LP-level students in schools under the Kasaragod, Kumbla and Manjeshwara sub-districts. The question asked, “Who was the freedom fighter who received the most punishment from the British?” The answer key identified Savarkar as the answer.Education minister N Samsudheen had earlier described the question, included as a tie-breaker, as an intentional distortion of history and said strong action would be taken against those responsible. According to the education department, the quiz question was prepared under the leadership of Guru Prasad. The department is now examining the circumstances under which the controversial question was included in the question paper.
