Dubbing it as another absurd instance of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal’s colour paranoia, Punjab Congress on Sunday assailed ludhiana district administration’s directive asking teachers not to wear black clothes at the 50th anniversary celebrations of Punjab state.
Pointing out that such orders could not have been passed without the Badal government’s explicit directives, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) leaders said that the instructions to the teachers were totally senseless and ridiculous.
“Badal was clearly getting paranoid about colours,” said Congress leaders — Aruna Chaudhary, Gurkanwal Kaur and Karan Kaur Brar, pointing out that first it was the Chitta Raavan (white Raavan) and now it’s black (kaala) clothes.
They wondered what it was about these colours that Badal was so painstakingly trying to avoid, the Congress’ female MlAs trio asked.
The district-level function to celebrate Punjab state’s 50th anniversary will be held at the Guru Nanak Stadium in ludhiana, which had witnessed attacks by Akalis on Congress workers on Dussehra eve over Chitta Raavan issue.
ludhiana District Education Officer (Secondary) has issued instructions to the principals and teachers assigning them duties for the celebrations while instructing not to wear black on the occasion.
Taking a dig at Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, the leaders asked if there was some astrological explanation for Badal’s sudden aversion to certain colours. After having raised such a hue and cry over the burning of white effigies (Chitta Raavans) on Dussehra, Badal has now created an unnecessary ruckus over the bizarre instructions relating to the teachers’ dress code for the Punjab Day celebrations, said the PPCC leaders.
They warned the SAD government against indulging in such authoritarian and suppressive measures to gag the people of Punjab.