Outrage in Chennai: Motivational speaker’s superstitious speech sparks protests, headmasters transferred | Chennai News – Times of India

IN THE EYE OF THE STORM: Mahavishnu

CHENNAI: A speech promoting superstitions by a self-styled motivational speaker at two govt schools in Chennai triggered a political and social outcry, leading to the transfer of both the headmasters. The speaker, Mahavishnu, claimed that there were mantras to bring firestorms, cure ills and do teleportation.
He attributed deformities such as blindness and social inequalities such as homelessness and the disparity between poor and rich to sins committed in previous births.
Videos of a visually handicapped teacher confronting the man and questioning such an unscientific discourse went viral on Friday morning, prompting protests. Several political leaders, including AIADMK‘s Edappadi K Palaniswami and PMK’s Dr Ramadoss, demanded action.
An incensed school education minister Mahesh Anbil Poyyamozhi said action will be taken against the man, who calls himself Mahavishnu, for insulting the visually challenged teacher on a school campus.
The school management should have checked Mahavishnu’s background before inviting him for the talk. They have made a mistake,” he told reporters.
He said a committee will conduct an inquiry to find the person responsible for conducting the event. “We will initiate action in one or two days,” Poyyamozhi said.
He visited the Ashok Nagar school and felicitated the teacher for boldly confronting the speaker during the event. A team headed by school education director S Kannappan conducted an inquiry with the teachers about the incident.
Jurisdictional assistant commissioner of police also visited the campus and held an inquiry.
Following this, R Thamilarasi, headmistress of Govt Girls Higher Secondary School in Ashok Nagar, was transferred to headmistress of Govt Higher Secondary School at Pennalurpet in Tiruvallur district. K Shanmugasundaram, headmaster of Govt Model Higher Secondary School in Saidapet, was transferred as headmaster of Govt Higher Secondary School at Anaicut in Chengalpet district.
“I felt the speaker treated the entire differently abled community poorly during his speech. He preached superstitious thoughts inside the school, which is against the rules. School is a secular place,” Shankar, the differently abled teacher, told reporters.
Protests were held and complaints lodged by various organisations, including the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) and the Dec 3 Movement, condemning Mahavishnu’s controversial speech and seeking action against him under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act.
Mahavishnu addressed the students on Aug 28, the video of which surfaced on social media on Thursday.