GUWAHATI: Some Hindu (Sanatani) organisations on Wednesday gave a clarion call to Christian Missionaries of Assam to remove the idols of Jesus and Mary from the schools they are running and to stop Christian prayers in the school assemblies, where many Hindu students are taking part.
Addressing a press conference at Dispur Press Club, Kutumba Surakshya Parishad president Satya Ranjan Borah said, “These Christian Missionaries are converting the schools and educational institutes into religious institutes. We will not allow it. We will observe them for some time be for 10 to 15 days and thereafter we will do what we should do and they will be responsible for any untoward incident.”
“We will not spare. We will not say what we will do. If a 10-year-old child can’t recite Jai Sriram on the school campus, how can they preach Jesus and Mary on the school campus,” Borah questioned.
“We warn them not to wear religious clothes by fathers, sisters and brothers in the schools. They have to wear normal clothes. They should remove the idols of Jesus, Mary and the Cross from the school complex. They should also remove churches from school complexes and prayers in the schools,” Borah added.
“If they do not hear us, we will do what should be done. We will not tolerate the conversion of educational institutes to religious institutes. We will move the Supreme Court also if needed,” he warned.
They are violating Article 14, Article 15 (discrimination), Article 21 (personal liberty), right to an equal facility in a guaranteed manner in the name of providing health and education to the people, he alleged adding that under Article 28, no government-recognised schools can promote religious activity.
Under which provision of the Constitution do they wear such dresses in the school, Borah questioned.
India is a land of equality and inclusiveness by its philosophical and social design of Sanatan dharma.
Unfortunately, some of the foreign theories have been trying to make it exclusive for their own business violating the Constitutional values of the nation and defaming the age-old heritage culture, social practices and harmony, he alleged.
“This is very painful for the nation to see the process of conversion of educational institutions to exclusive religious one by neglecting the Constitutional duties defined in Article 51(A) of the Constitution of India, he said.
“But, to promote and expand the exclusiveness of Christianity; the educational institutions governed by the Christian Missionaries are neglecting all the fundamental duties of being the citizen of India. The judgment of the Supreme Court of India against a case WP(C) No 25006 of 2017 (A) stated that private schools that are required to have recognition from the state must not promote one religion over others; the exclusive promotion of a particular religion by private educational institutions defies the secular character of the Constitution and denies constitutional values and morality, Borah said.
“We have been seeing exclusive religious practices in the schools and colleges governed by the Christian missionaries in India. Our point is that the dress or costume of the teachers especially the Father-Sisters of Christian Missionaries school is not exclusively religious. The installation of idols of Jesus Christ and Mother Mary and the sign of the cross in the institutions is not exclusively religious practice. The presence of churches inside the campus of educational institutions ruled by the Christian Missionaries; is not exclusive religious practice, he said.
“We strongly opined to stop these sick and intentional religious practices of Christian Missionaries to promote the exclusive religion in the country in the name of providing education. We strongly appeal to the President of India, the Prime Minister and the concerned ministries to look into this matter immediately to safeguard the Indian values and dignity of lives,” he added.
The press conference was also attended by Sujit Pathak, organising secretary, Bharat Rakshya Manch; Hitu Bhatt, president, Jagrata Prahari; Gunajit Das, Sriram Sewa Vahini; Manoj Deka, Sanatan Hindu Army; Lima Mahanta, Biswa Hindu Mahasangha; Sunil Singh, Hindu Surakshya Sena; Radha Devi, vice president, Kutumba Surakshya Parishad and Dipankar Nath, Kutumba Surakshya Parishad.
