News Desk, News Nation 360 : The Bengal Christian Council offers its sincere gratitude to the Hon'ble Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Bandopadhyay, for her active and vigilant endeavours in upholding the centuries-old ethos and traditions of Bengal, which have brought harmony in diversity, harmonious coexistence, and dignity to all individuals irrespective of caste, creed, colour, religion, gender, or social status. Her genuine commitment to keeping the sanctity of the Indian Constitution notwithstanding all odds and opposition is highly commendable. The Council, in particular, notes the Chief Minister's great role in conferring Minority Status and issuing the Gazette Notification No. 79-ES/S/10R-14/2013 dated 03.02.2016. This therefore would govern the appointment of teaching and non-teaching staff in the Christian Missionary Educational Institutions (Grants-in-aid) in West Bengal with constituencies for the scruh posts guaranteed by the Constitution of India. Christian missionary institutions have played a significant role in nation-building through their contributions toward education, healthcare, social services, women's empowerment, and care for the marginalized, such as youth, the elderly, and differently-abled people. Missions have undertaken the founding of educational institutions not only in cities but also in villages and backwaters across regions that provide education to the masses and the high sense of women's education. These institutions, some of which are over two centuries old, continue to cater to diverse societal needs, providing modern, quality education infused with discipline, moral values, and ethical principles, thereby nurturing generations of successful alumni across India and the world, with special attention to the underprivileged, differently-abled, and children with special needs. The Bengal Christian Council appeals to the Hon'ble Chief Minister of West Bengal for consideration of very critical issues affecting the Christian Missionary Schools' engagement with the DI Office at Kolkata. They remain a minority group and continue to face such notifications, resulting in continued and continued delays along with bureaucratic issues even in appointment orders for staff recruitment be it teaching or non-teaching staff. This includes undue delays, callousness, and lack of courtesy from the DI officials which requires legal steps to get them to clear. Additionally, while the schools have been exempt from the government's dress code, they have never received the grant for uniforms that they have been requesting. This, among other grievances, might force these schools to look for affiliation with the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE), for which they require a no-objection certificate from the West Bengal government. The Council is also worried by the rise of self-proclaimed Bishops with dubious antecedents who are trying to cheat Christians and authorities. Finally, the Council raises concern over the declaration of several Churches and Educational Institutions as heritage structures, which, though prestigious, impose restrictions without providing adequate support or funding for necessary maintenance and renovations.
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