Ritual for students sparks anger in India

INDIA: Teachers sprinkled cow urine on low-caste students to purify them and drive away evil, the Times of India reported yesterday. Upper-caste headteacher Sharad Kaithade ordered the ritual after taking over from a lower-caste predecessor at a school in a remote village in the western state of Maharashtra earlier this month.

"She said you'll study well after getting purified," student Rajat Washnik was quoted as saying by the CNN-IBN news channel. Students said they felt humiliated. The newspaper said two teachers were arrested after angry parents complained to police. They have been released on bail.