Govt aided Christian schools in Tirunelveli in TN use students to protest against NEP; Sting operation by VHP exposes their agenda to poison young minds

Involving students in their protest against New Education Policy (NEP) by some Christian government aided schools has surfaced in Tirunelveli district.

Engineer Arumuga Gani of VHP told this correspondent that minorities run government aided educational institutions in the district are asking parents of the students to draw kolams against the NEP. He said Ignatius and Loyola convent schools have sent whatsapp messages to the students studying in their schools asking them to show their protest draw kolams in front of their house. He said classes are being conducted online in view of pandemic threat. One of our men, posing as a parent of a student, spoke to the Loyola convent school teacher.

A sting operation was done by the VHP to expose the school. In that, the teachers admitted that they have asked the parents to draw kolams. When the caller asked her to explain the motive behind the protest so that he can also do so. After not getting satisfactory replies, he asked did you study the NEP and what was wrong in it? Did you inform the parents what is wrong in the new policy. Why you are engaging students in the protest. Won’t sow the seed of poison against the Central government. The teacher cut the call in the middle knowing she is being trapped.

Arumuga gani wanted the education department authorities to take action against such schools. The minorities’ educational institutions, that receive grants from the government and other privileges, should not involve students or parents to support their cause. We urged the education department to take appropriate action against the schools involved in this failing which we would gather in front of the schools to protest. I have sent the telephone number of the teacher who made a request in whatsapp.

“There are many Christian run schools in Tirunelveli, Tuticorin and Kanyakumari districts. In Tirunelveli, minorities’ educational institutions in 2016 held protest meetings at Palayamkottai Jawahar ground. Now the same institutions are instigating the young students to get involved in the protest only to further their cause. Calling parents to support their protest is condemnable” he explained.

In another development, in the name of conducting coaching classes under the Central government scheme, students were taken for a ride and attempts were made to convert them to Christianity which shocked the parents.

Arumuga gani told this correspondent that to attend tuition classes, students were asked to pay Rs.72 as fee by a fake NGO called Prayaas Child Education program (Jagruthi Seva Samithi) from hundreds of poor students. We also came to know that they also tried to convert them to their religion after getting Aadhar details, photos. VHP and RSS have complained to the police to initiate action against one Nisha of Manur Panchayat Union and she is backed by evangelical Christian missionaries. She claimed to be representing the Central government.

Ten years ago, Mela Pillaiyar Kulam T.D.T.A School Headmaster Rani cheated the students in the same manner. She and another HM Israel indulged in fraud. To get more funds to pay teachers, it had inflated students’ strength. We requested the police to act against Nisha for cheating and her NGO and take steps to return the money, aadhar details and photos to students, said the VHP representative.