Indian state takes over Christian school, citing irregularities
developerThe Gujarat government in western India has taken over the administration of a Christian missionary school, citing alleged irregularities, a move the school management and Christian leaders have condemned as unjustified and discriminatory.
The state government, led by the pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), appointed the district education officer (DEO) of Ahmedabad to administer the Seventh-day Adventist Higher Secondary School in the Maninagar area of the city.
“The district education officer took over the administration on Dec. 16,” school headmistress Mayurika Patel told UCA News on Dec. 17.
The action followed a probe ordered after a student fatally stabbed another student outside the school premises on Aug. 19.
The knifing drew accusations against the school from what its management described as vested interests, who sought to portray the matter in communal terms and alleged institutional negligence.
In his probe report, the district education officer accused the school of a “lack of clarity regarding the trust or society managing the school.” It also accused the school of profiteering through book sales, operating a shift system without approval, breaching lease conditions, and submitting false affidavits.
The officer recommended that the state government assume control of the school’s administration.
Patel rejected the findings, calling the allegations “totally baseless.”
She said the 46-year-old school is affiliated with the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE). The affiliation “is granted only after complying with all government norms. How, then, can the state accuse us of irregularities?” she said.
The school plans to challenge the government decision in the Gujarat High Court, she said.
Founded in 1979 with only 18 students, the school now has about 11,000 students and 650 staff and faculty members. It is regarded as one of the most sought-after institutions in the locality for its academic performance.
Several Christian leaders opposed the government action, saying it was an attempt to tarnish the reputation of a school known for providing quality education.
“It is clearly a targeted attack because the school belongs to the Christian minority community,” said Jesuit priest Cedric Prakash, a human rights activist based in Ahmedabad.
“Shockingly, an unfortunate incident was communalized and used to justify stripping an academically excellent, minority-run school of its administrative powers,” Prakash told UCA News.
“The charges are frivolous and do not warrant such drastic action. Even if there were issues, they could have been addressed through the due legal process.”
Christian leaders also accused the BJP government of bias against Christians.
They pointed to a 2021 amendment to a five-decade-old state law regulating minority-run educational institutions, which empowered the state education board to set qualifications and recruitment procedures for staff in state-aided private schools, including those run by minorities.
Previously, minority-run state-aided schools were allowed to recruit staff without outside interference.
Christians account for about 0.5 percent of Gujarat’s 63 million people, the vast majority of whom are Hindus.
This article was originally published on Indian state takes over Christian school, citing irregularities