Verghese V Joseph –
Bengaluru: Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader and Rajya Sabha Parliamentary Party Leader Derek O’Brien has called upon Christian-run institutions in India to engage their alumni as advocates for the community’s contributions to nation-building.
The event in Bengaluru follows a similar “Speak Up” dialogue held earlier in Ahmedabad on January 9.
Speaking at the second “Speak Up” dialogue in Bengaluru alongside Jesuit priest Father Cedric Prakash and Archbishop of Bengaluru Peter Machado, O’Brien highlighted the significant role Christian institutions play in education and social development. He emphasized that these institutions, which educate a majority of non-Christian students, should harness their alumni networks to amplify their voice and positive impact.
Father Prakash highlighted the importance of the Preamble in the Constitution, besides giving an overview of the context of the current political situation in the country and also the on the Ignatian discernment.
O’Brien noted that approximately 5,400 Christian-run institutions in India have produced an estimated 22 to 25 crore alumni, including prominent figures such as BJP President J.P. Nadda and Union Ministers Piyush Goyal and Nirmala Sitharaman. He suggested that these alumni could serve as effective spokespersons for the community, fostering awareness about the contributions of Christian institutions. He also pointed out that around 70% of students in Christian schools are non-Christians, further underscoring the inclusive nature of these institutions.
During his address, O’Brien urged the Christian community to focus on being recognized for their positive contributions rather than being associated with negative narratives. He proposed reorienting alumni associations to become advocates for their alma maters and for the broader Christian community. “Think about the alumni associations of all these schools,” he said. “Reorient those alumni associations—they should become spokespersons for these institutions.”
The TMC leader also touched on pressing issues affecting Christians in India, such as the Waqf (Amendment) Bill and the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), urging Christians to stand against measures that he argued pit minority communities against each other. He accused the BJP-led government of weaponizing constitutional issues and targeting minority groups through legislation like anti-conversion laws and amendments to the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA). These actions, he claimed, have adversely impacted Christian NGOs and other community-run initiatives.
O’Brien criticized what he described as deliberate attempts by the government to marginalize Christians, citing examples such as declaring December 25 as “Good Governance Day” and failing to address violence against Christians in Manipur. He also referenced the case of Father Stan Swamy, an 84-year-old Jesuit priest and tribal rights activist who died in custody in 2021 after being arrested under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). Swamy’s death, O’Brien argued, symbolizes the challenges faced by Christian activists under the current regime.
In addition to addressing systemic issues, O’Brien called on Church leadership to hold the government accountable for policies affecting Christians. He urged them to question actions such as FCRA cancellations and anti-conversion laws while advocating for constitutional protections under Articles 14, 15, and 25. He also encouraged leaders to oppose hate speeches and communal slurs targeting minorities.
These interactions aim to bring together concerned members of the Christian community to discuss strategies for safeguarding their rights and promoting their contributions to Indian society. O’Brien’s remarks come amidst growing concerns over religious freedom and minority rights in India.
By focusing on leveraging alumni networks and pushing back against discriminatory policies, O’Brien’s message underscores a dual approach: celebrating the achievements of Christian institutions while addressing systemic challenges faced by the community. His call for action reflects broader concerns about preserving constitutional values and protecting minority rights in a rapidly changing political landscape.
Your report states that the Catholic Church runs 5400 educational institutions. This is way off the mark. As per the Catholic Directory of India 2013, the latest that I have, there were14148 educational institutions then. There will be even more now.
Also don’t expect much from ex-students. Most of them are BJP sympathizers. By and large we have failed to impact them.
Chhotebhai is absolutely right on raising his doubts about the figure 5,400. It is 54,000 according to Mr Derek O’Brien – Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament from Bengal. He stated this figure at Loyola Jesuit College – Chennai on 20th February, on the occasion of Centenary Celebration of the College. He said the Christian community (not only Catholics) runs around 54,000 educational institutions and for every 100 students 75 belong to other communities. The link of his speech is given below:
https://youtu.be/U9qgBF2wvYE
Mr Derek O’Brien also remembered Fr Jerome D’Souza who was a member of the Constituent Assembly from 1946-1950 and is buried in Loyola College campus. He dedicated the day (World Social Justice Day) and his interactive session to late Fr Stan Swamy.
Mr Derek O’Brien may espouse the cause of the 75% non-Christian students, but the cold fact is Christian students, especially the poor, are a minority in their own institutions. Our Church-run institutions have put the lofty ethos of St Ignatius and St John Bosco to the back burners and are mostly serving the privileged class. Fr Stan’s martyrdom hardly matters to them! By the way, St Stephen’s College New Delhi reserves 50% of seats for Christian students, as per the Supreme Court of India benchmark. Very soon, Church-run educational institutions will soon lose their Minority Institution tag because of the abysmally low percentage of Christian students in these schools. Already the Gujarat government has passed a law that it will have a say in the selection of both teaching and non-teaching staff in aided Minority Educational institutions. This has, however, been challenged in the Supreme Court of India by the Gujarat Educational Board of Catholic Institutions. Two questions that Christian educational institutions need to introspect on are: (1) For whom did our founding fathers/mothers establish our educational institutions? (2) Whom are we serving now (those who are persecuting the marginalised and incarcerating
activist-priests like Stan Swamy)?