(August 30, 2008) Some 45,000 educational institutions run by Christians across the
country were closed on Friday to protest the continued anti-Christian violence in
Orissa, which has claimed some 20 lives. Protesting the violence that began a week
ago "all our schools and colleges are closed” on Friday, Father Bubu Joseph, spokesperson
of the Catholic Bishops Conference of India told the Indian Catholic. Catholics alone
manage some 20,700 educational institutions. Following the CBCI call to close its
schools, other Christian groups like Church of North India, Church of South India
and other Christian groups also decided to close their schools as a mark of solidarity.
These groups together run some 20,000 schools and colleges. In Delhi scores of Christians
marched to Orissa Bhawan, the office of the state resident commissioner, to protest
the violence. Representations have been made to the President and Prime Minister already.
In Bangalore, the Bangalore Citizens Forum, a civil society organisation , in collaboration
with more than 30 NGOs and other Christian education institutions of Bangalore held
a public rally and a candle light vigil near Mahatma Gandhi statue here on Friday,
to protest against the communal attacks on Christians in Orissa. Over a thousand people,
including students, activists, priests and religious took an active part in the rally,
making it a huge success. In Kerala, All Christian denominations pledged solidarity
with the Catholic Church by wearing black badges, passing resolutions condemning the
attack on the community and holding prayer meetings. More than 700 Religious, clergy,
lay Catholics and other Christians, and people of other religions have taken part
so far in an Aug. 27-29 candlelight vigil at the Jesuits' St. Xavier's College in
Kolkata, capital of West Bengal state. In Nashik, Archbishop Felix Machado organised
a special-prayer meeting of all Christians' educational institutions, its staff, teachers
and principals was held at Nashik road on Friday morning. Christians in every major
city organised protest march condemning the atrocities in Orissa. Christian groups
in Mangalore, a coastal Catholic stronghold jointly sent a memorandum to the Orissa
government on Aug. 26 asking it to protect minority Christians. However, a spokesperson
of the Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday questioned the need for Christians closing
their schools across the nation as a mark of protest against the ongoing anti-Christian
violence in Orissa. “All children studying in Catholic schools are not Catholics.
Why should they be forced to join? BJP spokesperson said. He added that closing was
part of "coercive tactics' ' to compel non-Christian students also to take part in
protest marches.