பைபிளை படிக்க கட்டாயப்படுத்தும் கிறிஸ்துவ பள்ளி மீது மஹாராஷ்டிர அரசு விசாரணை

நவி மும்பையில் இருக்கும் செயிண்ட் அகாஸ்டீன் ஹை ஸ்கூல் மாணவர்களை மாணவிகளள கட்டாயமாக பைபிள் படிக்க வைக்கிறது என்ற குற்ற்சாட்டை சிவசேனா கட்சி கூறியதன் பின்னர், மஹாராஷ்டிர கல்வி அமைச்சர் ஹாசன் முஷ்ரிஃப் அந்த பள்ளி செய்திருந்தால் பள்ளி மீது நடவடிக்கை எடுக்கப்படும் என்று கூறியிருக்கிறார்.

Govt bows to Sena demand, probes Christian school
Nimisha Srivastava / CNN-IBN
Published on Thursday , July 26, 2007 at 21:35 in Nation section

Mumbai: The Maharashtra government’s education department is probing a Mumbai school which the Shiv Sena alleges is forcing the Bible on non-Christian students.

The Shiv Sena alleges the St Augustine High School in Navi Mumbai is forcing students to read the Bible against their wishes. Hasan Mushrif, Minister of State for School Education, told CNN-IBN the action would be taken against the school if the allegations are found correct.

"I have an ordered a probe to find out if the school is spreading Christianity and forcing Bible lessons on students," said Mushrif.

St Augustine’s has rejected the allegations. "We have all kinds of prayers in our assembly—we have Vande Mataram. No student is forced to do anything against his or her religion. All students are alike to us," says Head Mistress Lily Zachariah.

This is not the first time that a Christian institution is being probed. Christian leaders say probes and government attention on them strangely increase when the time comes for admissions. Abraham Mathai, General Secretary of All India Christian Council of Maharashtra, alleges the probe is politically motivated.

"Some disgruntled MPs who would not be able to get admission for their own people would be raising these issues to get back at the schools," says Mathai.