Verghese V Joseph –
Bengaluru: Strongly rebutting allegations that non-Christian students were required to read the Bible in Christian institutions, including Clarence High School, Archbishop of Bangalore Dr Peter Machado on Thursday categorically denied any such move.
Addressing a Press Conference here on Thursday, Dr Machado further reiterated that no student of any other religion had converted while studying in Christian schools.
It all began when Hindu Janajagruti Samiti state spokesperson Mohan Gowda claimed that non-Christian students were being forced to read Bible. The controversy sparked when one of the points in the application form reads that the parents should declare that they affirm to not object to carrying a Bible to the school. Based on the complaint, on Wednesday, the Karnataka’s education department issued a show-cause notice to Clarence High School.
Archbishop Peter Machado said non-Christian students were not required to read the Bible and no Bible instructions were issued for them. He expressed his disappointment over the Karnataka government’s launching of an inquiry into the latest Bible row in the southern state. He said he was little hurt at the controversy on teaching Bible in Bengaluru’s Clarence High School.
“The education department has ordered an inquiry about whether the Bible is used or religion is taught in our (Christian) schools. I feel very hurt. We can bravely say that no student of other religion has become Christian in our school,” the archbishop said.
“The education minister said Bhagavad Gita will be introduced next year as its moral education text, while Bible and Quran are supposed to be religious texts so they will not be allowed,” he added.
Earlier, the school principal Jerry George Matthew said, “We’re aware that some people are upset about one of the policies of our school. We’re a peace-loving and law-abiding school. We’ve consulted our advocates on this matter & we’ll follow their advice. We won’t break law of the land.”
Clarence High School is an unaided Christian minority educational institution imparting education primarily to Christians and to the members of other communities since 1914. The institution is privately run owned and run by the Clarence Educational Trust. It is recognised as a Christian minority educational institution.
The majority of the students (over 70%) are from Christian families. It also admits students from other faiths with the complete understanding that they are coming to a Christian school.
The institution has sought legal opinion from its legal advisors to respond to the show-cause notice issued by the Block Education Officer.