Judge's remark on Christian education called "unfortunate"

Deputy secretary of the Tamil Nadu Bishops' Council, Father L. Sahayaraj called Madras High Court Justice S. Vaidyanathan's remarks attacking Christian education "unfortunate."

Vaidyanathan made the remark using Madras Christian College (MCC) assistant professor Samuel Tennyson's case on sexual harassment and attacked Christian schools in general. He said "there is a general feeling among parents of students, especially female students, that coeducational study in Christian institutions is highly unsafe for the future of their children."

Vaidyanathan said in the present era, there are several accusations against Christian missionaries for indulging in the compulsory conversion of people of other religions into Christianity. "Though they impart good education, their preaching of morality will be a million-dollar question," he added.

Calling Vaidyanathan's remarks "unfortunate," Fr Sahayaraj said Tennyson's case was about sexual harassment and compulsory conversion was not a matter for legal consideration here. "Christian institutions right from the beginning have never indulged in compulsory conversions," he said.

In nearly 55,000 institutes run by Catholic churches, which serve over 5 million students in the country, majority of the staff and students are non-Catholic.

"At the time of admission in June every year, people of all faiths throng to the Christian institutions for the admission for their children with the only hope that discipline and quality of education will be available to them," Fr Sahayaraj explained.

"Christian institutions have produced stalwarts in Hinduism and Islam. We can go on listing the great personalities studied in Christian institutions. Students studying in the Christian colleges will witness that no conversion is advocated among them," he added.

Vaidyanathan also complained on the legislation that protects women in the country. He asked the government to modify them to prevent its misuse and safeguard the interest of the innocent masculinity.

Pointing at the country's anti-dowry law, Vaidyanathan said "certain laws lend themselves to easy misuse that women will find it hard to resist the temptation to 'teach a lesson to the male members' and will file frivolous and false cases."