The National Commission for Minorities has protested the Madras High Court's statement that there was a general feeling that coeducational study in Christian educational institutions was "highly unsafe" for the future of girl children.
NCM Vice-chairperson George Kurian on Monday said that the court's statement caused dismay and pain to the members of the community. The HC had made the remark while hearing a complaint against a professor of Madras Christian College (MCC) who is facing sexual harassment charge from at least 34 girl students in the college.
Stating that it is wrong to generalise a community for the actions of some individuals, Kurian said, "Nowhere in the Indian Constitution or Indian Penal Code (IPC), is it mentioned that the religion of an accused or a petitioner should be considered while hearing a case." The NCM functionary also opposed the HC for unnecessarily commenting upon religious conversions while hearing the sexual harassment matter.
Kurian said the matter of religious conversion was not a question of dispute in the petition but it seemed that the intention was to draw the attention of the issue of alleged "compulsory conversions" undertaken by missionaries. Kurian said it is important to point out that the Christian population has remained unchanged according to Census of 1951 as well as Census 2011.
"Instead of blaming the Christian community for all conversions taking place in the country, the legislature and executive should have been directed to enact an anti-conversion law," Kurian said. He added that the contribution of the Christian community in the field of education in India is acknowledged by all including, the court, therefore, the high moral standards kept up by these institutions cannot be questioned. "It is the responsibility of all institutions, including judiciary to maintain high moral standards. There should not be different yardsticks for measuring it," Kurian said.
