Don't force Hindu children to dress up as Santa Claus, VHP tells Madhya Pradesh schools

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has asked schools in Madhya Pradesh not to ask "Sanatan Hindu" students to dress up as Santa Claus and bring Christmas trees without their parents' permission.

A release from the right-wing outfit claimed that some schools were forcing students to dress up as Santa Claus as part of Christmas celebrations. It was an "attack" on Hindu culture and a conspiracy to inspire Hindu children to adopt Christianity, it alleged.

The VHP `Madhya Bharat' unit also claimed in the release that such a directive from schools would entail financial loss for the parents as they would have to buy the Santa Claus attire. "Children should be made (dressed up as) Ram, Krishna, Gautam Buddha, Mahavir, Guru Govind Singh, great revolutionaries but not Santa. Bharat is the land of saints and not Santa," the outfit said.

"Therefore, all the schools are requested not to dress up Hindu children as Santa Claus without the prior permission of the parents and if any school does so, VHP will take statutory legal action against the school concerned," the statement added.

A letter to this effect was being sent to schools in 16 districts in Madhya Pradesh which are part of 32 organisational districts of the outfit, VHP Madhya Bharat Prant Prachar Pramukh Jitendra Chouhan told PTI.