Kerala Teacher Suspended Over Savarkar Question in School Freedom Quiz
The General Education department in Kerala has suspended a teacher for his involvement in preparing a controversial question in a school-level ‘Freedom Quiz’ that identified V.D. Savarkar as the freedom fighter who received the “most punishment” from the British. The suspension is pending a detailed inquiry.
The teacher, Guru Prasad, is attached to A.U.P.S. Pallathadukka under the Kumbla educational sub-district. The Director of General Education (DGE) has directed the Deputy Director of Education in Kasaragod to initiate departmental disciplinary proceedings against him and conduct a thorough investigation into the matter.
The controversy stems from the Social Science Club’s ‘Freedom Quiz 2026’, held on August 6, 2026, for students in the Kasaragod, Kumbla and Manjeswaram educational sub-districts. The competition was organised across lower primary, upper primary and high school categories.
The lower primary quiz comprised 15 questions and five tie-breaker questions. One question asked: “Who is the freedom fighter who received the most punishment from the hands of the British?” The answer key listed V.D. Savarkar. The question triggered protests and political backlash across the state.
According to the DGE’s order, the question paper was prepared by a group of teachers under the leadership of Mr. Prasad. The departmental inquiry found that framing a question in a manner that could spread a misleading impression was “very serious”.
The issue has gained a wider political dimension. Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan accused the Congress-led United Democratic Front government of allowing the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to influence young minds through a “divisive nationalistic ideology”.
Vijayan, a senior Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader, alleged that the government permitted a politically loaded question that whitewashed Savarkar’s role in the freedom struggle. He further accused the government of failing to stop purported attempts by the Sangh Parivar to rewrite history from a Hindu majoritarian perspective.
The Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and the Muslim Students Federation (MSF) have also demanded an inquiry into the circumstances under which the question was included, including who prepared and approved the question paper.
V.D. Savarkar remains a polarising figure in Indian history. While he was imprisoned by British authorities and is credited by some as a freedom fighter, critics point to his mercy petitions to the British and his later advocacy of Hindutva ideology. The quiz question has brought these conflicting interpretations to the fore in Kerala’s educational sphere.
