The circular also mentions children dressing up as Christmas trees.
In an order that is likely to cause a controversy, the education officer of a district in Madhya Pradesh has said that both government and private schools will face action if students take part in Christmas-related events without the permission of their parents. This includes children dressing up as Santa Claus or Christmas trees for plays or other events.
The circular, which is in Hindi and has been issued by the district education officer of Shajapur, reads, "Students should not be made part of Christmas-related events, including making them dress up or play roles like Santa Claus and Christmas tree without the written consent of parents, to prevent any untoward situation or incident."
Asking schools to give the communication the highest priority, the circular warns, "Unilateral disciplinary action will be proposed against your organisation if there are complaints in this regard."
District Education Officer Vivek Dubey said there have been complaints in the past and that the order does not ban Christmas events in schools.
"The circular does not ban any events in schools during the coming festive season. In the past, there have been instances of parents complaining about their wards being made part of such events in schools without their consent, and the circular is aimed at preventing such disputes. It's better to such controversies rather than acting after the incident has occurred," he said.