KOCHI: Flexing muscles, the Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council (KCBC) on Friday issued an open call to defy the state government order directing schools to function on Sunday, October 2, to hold anti-drug activities. Going a step further, the apex body of the Catholic denomination in the state asked the Church’s educational institutions to ignore any future government orders to work on a Sunday.
“Sunday is a day that has to be set aside, like how it used to be till now, only to engage in activities related to the Christian faith. Also, henceforth, all Catholic educational institutions needn’t obey the state government order that directs them to work on a Sunday,” said the KCBC. However, the students, teachers and parents can organise anti-drug awareness programmes on a suitable date later and thus cooperate with the state government, it said.
The government had, in a circular dated September 28, asked all the schools in the state to function on the Gandhi Jayanthi day to hold activities as a part of its ‘Drug-free Kerala’ initiative. As per the circular issued by the Department of General Education, one month, from October 2 till November 1, was to be used to organise intensive programmes to curb drug abuse among students.
“On October 2, Sunday, the state-level inauguration of the anti-drug campaign by the CM and his speech afterwards are to be shown to the students at the school assembly,” the circular said.
Bishops’ council’s decision not justifiable, says Sebastian Paul
“All those students who can come to the school should attend the function. The entire teaching staff has to be present in the school and take part in various activities like cleaning and anti-drug programmes,” said the circular.
Terming the KCBC actions “wrong”, former MP Sebastian Paul said “it should be noted that when we say educational institutions, many of these are aided ones, meaning financially aided by the state government. So the government has the power to make any particular day a working day… This Sunday is being used for the start of a good initiative. An initiative that is very close to the heart of the KCBC which has been working for alcohol ban, and also against drug abuse.”
He said, “their (KCBC’s) decision that they won’t participate in any programmes slotted on Sundays is not justifiable. The only thing the Christians want on a Sunday is to attend Holy Mass. And on Sunday multiple Masses are held. So a faithful can attend any one of them. Hence, everything can be worked around it.”
This is not the first time the Catholic Church in Kerala has come out against the state government’s decision to make Sunday a working day. Earlier this month, the Synod of the Syro-Malabar Church requested the state government to examine the orders coming from different departments turning Sundays into working days “repeatedly on the pretext of making decisions on pending files”. The Synod also protested against organising various competitive, entrance examinations on Sundays, saying it would amount to “denying opportunities for Christians”.
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