Did Savarkar Actually Get ‘Most Severe Punishment’ From British? Kerala Quiz Question Answered Amid Row
News india Did Savarkar Actually Get ‘Most Severe Punishment’ From British? Kerala Quiz Question Answered Amid Row Did Savarkar Actually Get ‘Most Severe Punishment’ From
News india Did Savarkar Actually Get ‘Most Severe Punishment’ From British? Kerala Quiz Question Answered Amid Row Did Savarkar Actually Get ‘Most Severe Punishment’ From British? Kerala Quiz Question Answered Amid Row Published By, Last Updated: August 10, 2026, 12:26 IST Kerala Freedom Quiz row: Teacher suspended, probe is on. How long was Vinayak Damodar Savarkar in prison compared to other freedom fighters? Who received most severe punishment? Rapid Read Kerala Veer Sarvakar Row A Kerala school teacher was suspended on Sunday after a ‘Freedom Quiz’ question identified VD Savarkar as the freedom fighter who received the most severe punishment from the British. The quiz, held on August 6 in Kasaragod district, sparked strong political backlash from Left student groups and opposition leaders. How long was Savarkar in prison compared to other freedom fighters? Who received the most severe punishment? THE FREEDOM QUIZ The school-level Social Science Club Freedom Quiz 2026 was conducted on August 6 for students in the Lower Primary, Upper Primary and High School sections under the Kumbla and Manjeshwar sub-districts. The Lower Primary section questionnaire contained 15 questions and five tie-breaker questions. The fifth question asked, “Who is the freedom fighter who received the maximum punishment at the hands of the British?" and listed V D Savarkar as the answer, officials said. The question and answer triggered controversy and widespread protests, prompting education authorities to initiate an inquiry. ACTION TAKEN Kerala Education Minister N Shamsudheen on Monday said disciplinary action will be taken against more teachers if they are found to be involved in the controversial answer in the quiz questionnaire. Director General of General Education Snehil Kumar Singh on Sunday issued an order directing the immediate suspension of Guru Prasad, a teacher at Aided Upper Primary School (AUPS) Pallathadka in the Kumbla sub-district of Kasaragod, for preparing the questionnaire. The minister said that whatever the activity may be, teachers and employees of the department should maintain discipline.
“It is not right to use the schemes of the Education Department to implement one’s personal interests without maintaining that discipline. So, there are certain disciplinary issues involved here. Likewise, it is clear that this was done for some very serious personal interests," he said. Shamsudheen said that when he received the information, he directed the Director General of Education and the Secretary to inquire into the matter. Upon investigation, a report was submitted identifying the person who did this, and he was suspended. “An investigation is still ongoing — that is the standard process. The individual has been suspended pending investigation. Let the investigation report also come out; only then will a final decision be made," the minister said. Asked whether disciplinary action would be taken against other teachers, the minister said, prima facie, the allegation was against one teacher. “If anyone else was involved, or if others similarly tried to implement their interests and ideas to cause issues in the education sector, disciplinary action will be taken against them as well," he said. POLITICAL ROW Leaders from the CPI(M), including former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, strongly condemned the question. They accused the organizers of trying to promote a Sangh Parivar agenda and distort the history of India’s freedom struggle. Senior Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) leader and former minister M K Muneer also criticised the portrayal of Savarkar as a patriot, calling it part of what he described as the RSS-BJP agenda. BJP Kerala president Rajeev Chandrasekhar defended Savarkar. In a post on X, Chandrasekhar wrote, “Every child in Keralam knows #VeerSavarkar ji and his immense sacrifices for India’s freedom…If the Muslim League dislikes it, they are free to read books on Tipu Sultan." Every child in Keralam knows #VeerSavarkar ji and his immense sacrifices for India’s freedom.If the Muslim League dislikes it, they are free to read books on Tipu Sultan.
The BriefWire