Education department officials closed St. Paul Higher primary School in Ilkal near Hungund in Bagalkot district on Thursday, December 30, 2021 on charges of `trying to convert students and their parents’.
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Block Education officer issued an order on Thursday, following a visit to the school and a complaint by some right-wing organisations.
He said that the school was being closed indefinitely for `celebrating Christmas in violation of rules’. However, he did not cite the rules in the order. “You have served meat in the classrooms during Christmas celebrations on December 25. This has led to embarrassment to the public and the department. You have to keep the school closed till further orders. Legal action will be taken if you reopen the school without permission,” he said.
Earlier, Pradeep Amarannanavar, convenor of `Pro- Hindu organisations’ gave a complaint to K Rathna, Tahashildar, that the school was trying convert the students and parents. “The school management invited the students and parents to school on Christmas Day and offered them lunch with meat, wine and ‘Satya Veda’ a Kannada translation of the Bible. This is nothing but an attempt at converting Hindus into Christianity, by allurement and force,’’ they said.
The complaint named Silvia D Marck, principal, and Jackson D Marck, and Umesh Nayak Harapanahalli members of school management committee and others. “Since inception, these persons have been converting members of the poor and backward communities like Banjara, Ambiger and other groups to Christianity. They are insulting Hindu Gods and converting the vulnerable groups. Once they are converted, they force the converted to throw out statues and images of Hindu Gods from their homes. This is against the law. What is more, the school’s license is getting renewed annually, as the school management bribes some education department officials. The authorities should close down the school and cancel its license,’’ the complaint said.
Following the complaint, I M Angadi, education department’s Block Resource Coordinator inspected the school and submitted a report. The BEO acted on the report and issued orders of closure.
However, Jackson D Marc, told journalists in Ilkal that the allegations were baseless.
“We are not converting anyone. First of all, the school is not run by Christian missionaries. It is run by some interested residents of Ilkal. The school committee includes members of all faiths. The school has students from all religions. The said lunch was not held in the school. The school is run in a rented premises,’’ he said.
