Church colleges relieved as court supports rights

The judicial authority in Madhya Pradesh has sent a notice to the government to elaborate on its failure to issue ‘minority status’ certificates to Christian educational institutions.

In response to the case filed by Father Anand Muttungal, spokesperson for the Church in Madhya Pradesh, the High Court in the state on August 7 questioned the authorities for ignoring the Church's applications filed by around 200 institutions for their minority status recognition.

According to the Indian constitution, it grants the right to religious and linguistic minorities to establish and administer their institutions, appointment of staff, salaries and terminations.

"We were forced to move the court against the government" after it failed to respond to applications for such certificates, Father Muttungal told UCA News.

He explained the certificate "is very essential for the Church–run institutions to maintain quotas for Christian students and to have freedom in staff selection and finance management."

Pastor Arun Pannalal, general secretary of the ecumenical Chhattisgarh Christian Forum, told the media Laxman Chaturvedi (university vice chancellor) has "joined hands with the Hindu activists" to close Christian educational institutions.

The Christian forum will launch protest actions if the vice chancellor continues "to harass the Christian educational institutions," he added.

The Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has ruled Madhya Pradesh since December 2003. Since then, several attacks on Christians and other minority groups have been reported in the state.

It is estimated that the Catholic Church in India runs around 15,000 educational institutions. In Madhya Pradesh, there are around 1,000 educational institutions run by Christians, both Catholic and other denominations.