Indian school mocks Gandhi during Republic Day event
Humiliation of India’s freedom icon at state-run school reflects how Gandhi’s legacy is being eroded under Hindutva politics
NEW DELHI, India (MNTV) — Students at a government-run primary school in central India performed songs containing offensive references to Mahatma Gandhi, India’s globally revered freedom icon and advocate of non-violence, during a Republic Day cultural program, triggering widespread outrage and official intervention.
The incident occurred on Jan. 26 at a state-run school in Madhya Pradesh, where children parodied the lyrics of multiple songs during a public event marking the adoption of India’s Constitution.
Video footage of the performance, later circulated on social media, showed lyrics that bore little connection to the values of constitutional democracy or civic respect traditionally associated with the national day.
Senior officials from the district administration and the education department acknowledged that the content referring to Gandhi was inappropriate and ordered an inquiry into the incident. An investigation team was dispatched to the school to record statements and submit findings to the district collector.
According to a report by NDTV, the school’s principal claimed the performance had not been rehearsed and said he was not present in the classroom at the time. He told officials that the program was intended to entertain villagers attending the event and denied prior knowledge of the lyrics used by the students.
Beyond administrative explanations, the episode has renewed concern about how Gandhi’s legacy is increasingly being marginalized in public institutions under the ideological dominance of Hindutva.
Once central to India’s national identity, Gandhi’s principles of pluralism, civil resistance and religious coexistence now sit uneasily with majoritarian narratives promoted by Hindu nationalist groups.
In recent years, public mockery of Gandhi, silence over insults directed at him, and the open glorification of his assassin, Nathuram Godse, by Hindu extremist groups have become increasingly visible.
Education spaces are no longer insulated from this ideological shift, with classrooms and public events reflecting broader political currents.
Republic Day is intended to reaffirm India’s constitutional values and democratic foundations. The use of derogatory content targeting Gandhi during such a program has raised alarms about how civic education is being hollowed out, particularly within state-run institutions responsible for shaping young citizens.
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