Hindu groups reiterate their demand for removal of churches, Christian symbols from missionary schools

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaApril 10, 2024

Six days after the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) directed all the Christian missionary schools to respect all faiths and traditions, and not to force Christian traditions on students of other religions, two Hindu organisations- Kutumba Surakshya Parishad and Hindu Surakshya Sena asked the CBCI to remove Christian symbols and separate churches from the school premises.

The CBCI, the apex decision-making body representing the Catholic community in India, is running 14,000 schools, 650 colleges, seven universities, five medical colleges and 450 technical and vocational institutions nationwide. 

Addressing a press conference at Barpeta Press Club in Barpeta on Tuesday, Kutumba Surakshya Parishad president Satya Ranjan Borah appreciated and welcomed the recent guidelines issued by the CBCI regarding putting certain restrictions on traditional Christian practices in the Christian Missionary educational institution.

Borah said he sent a 5-pages letter to Rev Fr Maria Charles, SDB, Secretary for Education and Culture of Catholic Bishops Conference of India on April 8 seeking detailing and clarification on certain aspects of the guidelines along with a date for formal discussion with CBCI to find out the permanent solution and to wrap up the differences of opinion and behaviour in between Christian Missionary educational institutions and the protesters.

Earlier Borah along with the representatives of some other Hindu organizations has given a 15-day ultimatum to the Christian missionary schools to clarify their stand on certain demands. 

“We highly appreciate and welcome the recent guidelines issued to the management of Christian missionary educational institutions regarding putting certain restrictions and additions of certain significant parameters. But, we would like to request CBCI kindly to clear some of our doubts ascertained after going through the media reports about their new guidelines,” Bora said in his letter.

“The CBCI put some restrictions on performing traditional Christian religious practices in their institutions. Here, what do CBCI mean by traditional Christian religious practices,” he questioned.

“Are they going to remove the Churches from the school campus; are the teachers going to wear normal Indian civil dresses to maintain the secular values of an educational institution; are they going to remove all kinds of exclusive Christian religious idols-statues etc from the campus of the institute? Are they going to stop the special Saturday Bible Classes? Are they going to stop Christian religious prayers in the schools,” he also questioned.

“We believe that practices of exclusive Christianity in the schools mean rejection and neglecting Article 51(A) of the Constitution of India,” Borah said.

Borah said by promoting and practising the exclusiveness of Christianity; the educational institutions governed by the Christian missionaries are neglecting all the fundamental duties of being a citizen of India,” he said.

“As per the media reports, CBCI is going to install an inter-religious prayer room on the school campus. We want clarification from the CBCI office. What kind of inter-religious prayer room they are talking about? What would be its shape? We need to know about it because the shape and components of the namghar (in Assam) and the temple are not similar. Even, what about Muslim, Sikh and other religious students? We believe that CBCI cannot make small small setups for all,” he said.

“We put forward one of our suggestions to CBCI for consideration. CBCI institutions are not recognized and notified by religious institutions like Islamic Madrassa. Those institutions are common public institutions; where more than 95% of students belong to non-Christian communities. So, that will be good for all of us; if CBCI separate the campus of the Church/religious prayer house and the public school; and removes all exclusive Christian symbols from the institutions,” Borah said.

“We have information with valid evidence about the suffering of non-Christian students/teachers by different kinds of physical and mental harassment in your schools. The recent incident that happened on February 5 in Calvary English School of Sonitpur district deeply hurt us; where the Christian school authority tortured a class IV student for saying Jai Sree Ram. If CBCI considers Jai Shree Ram as the religious slogan; then what about their all activities,” he questioned.

“We have information about your forceful restrictions onto the non-Christian poor Hindu students towards enjoying their liberty of life and culture; along with violation of juvenile rights, fundamental human rights etc in Don Bosco School, Chandrapur, Guwahati and Montfort School, Jorabat, Guwahati and many more. If you need we will submit you the details available with us,” he said.

“We request CBCI to take appropriate action against the schools for the sake of God and Holy Jesus and show your respect to all faith and religion. Even further; to respect all faith traditions without discrimination will your institutions celebrate the Saraswati Puja,” he added.