Christians sore at proposed Didi Bill for minority schools

It will also stipulate that all members of the governing bodies of such schools will have to be from the same community. The Bill is going to be cleared in the next Cabinet meeting to be held after Durga Puja holidays. However,the government move has caused widespread discontent among the minority schools and organisations.

And once it becomes an Act,all the 900-odd English-medium missionary schools of the state will lose the “minority” status they have been enjoying as only a few of them have 50 per cent of their students belonging to the community that runs the schools.

Once the schools lose the minority status,the state government’s reservation policy regarding recruitment of teachers and admission of students will be applicable to them. Besides,the minority institutions which run the schools will also lose control over the management of the schools.

“The government has taken the decision in the interest of the students,’’ said one senior official of the Madrasa and Minority Affairs department which functions under Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

There was a proposal from the National Minority Commission a few years back that a minority-run school should have 30 per cent of their students from the community that is running the institution.

Christian organisations had opposed the move vehemently and the suggestion was dropped.

This time not only Christian organisations and principals of various missionary schools but officials of the state minority commission have also raised their voice against the move.

“Christians form 1 per cent of the state’s population so it is not possible for them to have 50 per cent students from their own community. If this becomes a law,only Christian schools will be affected because in the schools run by other minority communities the students are mostly from their own community,’’ Maria Fernandes,vice-chairperson of State Minorities Commission,told The Indian Express.

Christian organisations have vehemently opposed the move. “This Bill will be in total contravention of Article 30 of the Indian Constitution which provides the minorities with the right to set up their own institutions. I don’t know whether the Chief Minister is aware of this at all. We will oppose it tooth and nail,’’ Herod Mullick,general secretary of Bangiya Christiyo Pariseba, apex body of Christians in the state,told The Indian Express.

Even missionary schools on Monday expressed their anger over the issue. “This is going to be a draconian Bill. We provide quality education to the society and we have to face this treatment in return,” H P Das,principal of St Stephens’ School,Dum Dum,told the paper.