Guwahati: Amidst the poster campaign against Christian missionary schools, an Adivasi Christian leader on Saturday claimed that Christians have the constitutional right to set up schools and educational institutions of their choice.
A radical Hindu group, Sanmilito Sanatan Samaj started a poster campaign in Guwahati, Dibrugarh, Barpeta, Jorhat, Sonari, Sivasaagar and several other places giving an ultimatum to missionaries to remove iconography and chapels from premises of missionary schools and asking them not to turn educational institutions into a religious affair.
The group also demanded that Christian Fathers and Sisters wear normal dress in place of their religious dresses in schools.
“This is the final warning to stop using the school as a religious institution. Remove Jesus Christ, Mary, cross, church, etc, from the school premises and stop such anti-Bharat and unconstitutional activities, or else…” the poster in Assamese read.
The poster campaign started after passing of the 10-day deadline set by Kutumba Suraksha Parishad led by right wing Hindu activist Satya Ranjan Borah for the removal of idols of Jesus Christ and Mother Mary and the Cross from missionary schools and other educational institutions.
Describing such demands as absurd and unconstitutional, former executive member of North East Regional Catholic Council (NERCC) and former president of All Adivasi Student Association of Assam (AASAA) Raphael Kujur said such controversies are unfortunate and uncalled for.
“The Christians have full rights to run educational institutes of their choice under the constitution of India. The missionary schools operate under constitutional provisions. Article 29 of the Constitution of India guarantees the rights of minorities whether based on religion or language to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice. Moreover, Article 30(1) provides minorities whether based on religion or language the right to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice,” Kujur said.
“The recent threat against missionary schools is regretful and condemnable as allegations brought against them are false and baseless,” Kujur said.
“Those who are blaming the missionary schools are ignorant of the contribution of missionary schools to the country for the last 200 years. The schools have been benefitting all sections of the people of the country irrespective of caste and creed,” he added.
“The missionary schools always provide education to be good Hindu, to be good Muslim, to be good Sikjh, to be good Buddhist and to be good Christians,” Kujur further said.
“There is no place of hatred in missionary schools. Love is the central faith in Christianity. The role of missionary schools in nation building process would not be wrongly portrayed,” he added.