CHRISTIAN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS IN NORTH INDIA: CHALLENGES AND RESPONSES

A group of 57 academician, theologian, bishops, and institution heads of various educational institutions in North India met at the All Saints College, Nainital, Uttarakhand from 23rd to 25th May 2008 to discuss, share, consult and strategize together to respond and face the challenges of the time and opportunity coming on their ways as they engage themselves in the missional task of educating the masses for responsible citizen of Kingdom of God and of the nation.

Inaugurating the Consultation The Most Rev. Joel V. Mal, Moderator of the Church of North India challenged the delegates to make Christian educational institutions not only agent of socialization but an agent of liberation from the slavery clutches of ignorance, addiction, corruption, dogmatism and fundamentalism promoting human value of sharing and caring. A thematic and objective focused liturgy was followed as the inaugural worship progressed.

Rev. Dr. Enos Das Pradhan, General Secretary of the Church of North India, welcomed the delegates and in his inaugural address he put forward the issues that relate directly to the Christian educational institutions with far-reaching consequences mutilating the mission agenda of the church and its concerns. He called for a concerted effort to reform the institutional hierarchy and get going tough with the various challenges to turn those into opportunity to serve the communities. He also stressed on the need of prioritizing the educational needs as part of mission of the church.

The keynote address delivered by Rev. Dr. Valson Thampu, St. Stephen’s College, Delhi, set the stone of thoughts roll. He said ‘in education, we hold the antidote for the foremost socio-political epidemic of our times: the rise of an intolerant, violent and oppressive culture in which knowledge is used as a weapon of predatory covetousness and organized injustice. The determined and organized resistance to the idea of reservation is a case in point. Education has been degraded into a servant of the status quo, sub-serving the interests of the oppressors and for shutting the door of hope on the victims of the existing scheme of things. Christian education is mandated to be exactly the opposite. The essence of our mission in education is outlined in the Nazareth Manifesto. We have to preach the good news to the poor, open the eyes of the blind and set the captives free. To educate is to liberate: liberate the oppressors and the oppressed alike. The former are the slaves of a diabolic system of education the latter are victims for being excluded from the opportunities of education.

The post lunch session timed an evocative panel discussion moderated by the Rt. Rev. Purely Lyngdoh, Deputy Moderator, Church of North India with the panellists Rt. Rev. Dr. P. P. Marandih, Bishop, Diocese of Patna; Rt. Rev. Dr. P. C. Singh, Bishop, Diocese of Jabalpur; and Rt. Rev. Dr. P. K. Dutta, Bishop, Diocese of Durgapur. The panellists shared their views on the legacy of Christian education and the present trend to comprehend how changes have taken place in our approach to run Christian education. The panel also discussed the step motherly attitude of Governments, at times, towards the educational institutions run by the Church admitting the fact that many of our educational institutions have lost the missionary goal and made it a business place. But they were hopeful that transformation is at hand.

Ms. Kuntal Tamang from Delhi University, shared her point of view on inclusive education advocating that right to education is equal for all. Religion, casteism, social status, sex and differently able cannot be the parameters for getting admitted into a Christian educational institutions.

On the second day of the Consultation Bishop S. R. Cutting, Diocese of Agra, the hosting Diocese, led the delegates in a renewing mood of worship which was followed by a power-packed Bible study led by Rev. Dr. Valson Thampu.

Then, in the next session, yet another panel discussion was conducted which was moderated by Rt. Rev. Anil Stephen, bishop of Lucknow Diocese with the panellists Rt. Rev. Naresh Ambala, Bishop of Eastern Himalaya Diocese and Mr. Sudipta Singh, Director Programmes of Church of North India Synod. Mr. Singh outlined ‘our institution should not function as ivory towers and islands of excellence in the ocean of ignorance’. He challenged the delegates with a pertinent question ‘how can we, the Church, contribute to reorientation of the educational system towards the poorest sections of Indian society and to the spreading of liberating education, conscientizing political action with regard to education and society?’

The plenary was followed by open discussion facilitated by Dr. Thampu to identify problems and prospects of the Christian educational institutions in North India.

In yet another panel discussion moderated by Bishop P. L. Kamble, Diocese of Nashik with the panellists Dr. Parvez Deen, Principal, Christ Church College, Kanpur and Mr. Munish Tamang radically brought out many issues to limelight.

Then in a group discussion moderated by Rev. Dr. Enos Das Pradhan CNI Policy of Education was discussed in breadth and length so as to make education a tool for social transformation. The resulting outputs were then the guiding factors to strategic planning for educatiojal relevance and declaration of statement.

Finally, on 25th May, at its valedictory service the Rt. Rev. Purely Lyngdoh sent the delegates off with a challenge to make the educational institutions entrusted to them a place of learning to liberate and to be liberated, the ultimate goal of the Mission of Education of the Church.