Christian schools in Bengal flag concern over 'attacks', seek meeting with RSS chief

KOLKATA: Several Christian missionary schools in West Bengal expressed concern over alleged attacks on churches and pastors, and said they would seek an appointment with RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat to appeal for safety and security of people belonging to the community.

The concerns were raised at a consultative conference organised by Bangiya Christiya Pariseba, a forum representing Christians of all denominations, in collaboration with the West Bengal Association of Christian Schools at Don Bosco School in Siliguri on Saturday.

Representatives of prominent missionary educational institutions attended the meeting to discuss challenges faced by the education sector and ways to improve academic standards, the organisers said.

They were encouraged by Bhagwat's recent remarks on pluralism during his visit to New York and intended to meet him to seek his intervention in ensuring the safety and dignity of the Christian community in West Bengal, one of the organisers said.

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Christian educational institutions in West Bengal

The conference comes amid several reported attacks on Christian prayer gatherings, churches and community members in different parts of the state, he said. St. Louis Catholic Church at Jalalkhali, Krishnanagar, in Nadia district was allegedly vandalised on Friday by a group of people over accusations of religious conversions, another organiser said.

The incident reportedly escalated into a confrontation. Earlier, the Bangiya Christiya Pariseba had raised concerns over alleged attacks on Christian prayer gatherings in several districts, including Dantan in Paschim Medinipur and Uluberia in Howrah.

The Christian group alleged that worshippers and pastors had faced intimidation and physical assaults, with accusations of forced conversions frequently cited by those disrupting the gatherings.

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The organisation had also approached the National Human Rights Commission, the West Bengal Human Rights Commission and the National Commission for Minorities over what it described as repeated attacks, intimidation and inadequate administrative action.

An RSS spokesperson denied the charges and said the Christian schools were under adequate security cover and did not face any threat. At Saturday's conference, the organisers also highlighted the contribution of Christian missionary institutions to education in India over more than two centuries, saying that they helped expand educational opportunities, particularly for marginalised and underprivileged sections of society.

They said the meeting aimed to review existing educational initiatives, assess emerging global learning trends and identify strategies to bring academic standards in the region in line with international benchmarks.

The representatives of educational institutions discussed the future roadmap for missionary schools in north Bengal, the organisers added.