Methodist Rural High School (MRHS), a private aided school in Zaheerabad in Sangareddy district of Telangana has been found to be allegedly indulging in religious conversion of its students.
A video of a child from the school has been making the rounds on social media platforms. In the video, the child is seen to be saying that he studies at the Methodist Rural High School in Zaheerabad. The school is located next to the church. The child says he stays in the school hostel in the same place. When asked if he goes home during the weekends, especially Sundays, he replies, “Though we wish to go home on Sundays, they do not allow us to go. They take us to the church on Sundays by telling us that they are taking us to the temple.”
Lodged complaint with Sri @KanoongoPriyank ji, @NCPCR_ seeking cancellation of recognition to Methodist Rural High School (Pvt Aided), Zaheerabad, Telangana and FIR against its management for brainwashing minor Hindu students and converting them to Christianity. pic.twitter.com/8fi8lDmZbS
— Legal Rights Protection Forum (@lawinforce) September 26, 2023
At the church, the child continues to say that they make the students sing songs and then at 10 AM they are served some chicken following which prayer begins. He also sings the song that they sing at the church – a Christian prayer song in Telugu.
Legal Rights Protection Forum posted on social media platform X that they had lodged a complaint with Priyank Kanoongo, the Chairperson of the National Commission for Protection Of Child Rights and NCPCR seeking cancellation of recognition given to the Methodist Rural High School in Telangana. An FIR also has been filed by the organisation against the management for brainwashing minor Hindu students and converting them to Christianity.
The complaint copy accessed by The Commune said, “We are enclosing the video statement of a minor Hindu student studying at Methodist Rural High School, Zaheerabad, Sangareddy District, Telangana. He can be seen stating that his school management is taking Hostel students residing to the Church by falsely telling them that they are being taken to the Hindu Temple. Students irrespective of religion are being forced to learn & sing Christian songs. It is known that the school management is neither informing the parents nor obtaining any consent from them to take their children to Church.
It clearly appears that the innocent minor children are being brainwashed and subjected to Christian conversion without their conscience. This act of the school management is a suppression of the Right to Freedom of Religion of the minor Children guaranteed under Article 25 of the Constitution of India.
As per the information, the Methodist Rural High School, Zaheerabad, Telangana is a private aided school run by Christian Missionaries and receiving financial aid from the Government of Telangana. Hence, it is also a violation of Article 28(3) of the Constitution of India which clearly states that “No person attending any educational institution recognised by the State or receiving aid out of State funds shall be required to take part in any religious instruction that may be imparted in such institution or to attend any religious worship that may be conducted in such institution or in any premises attached thereto unless such person or, if such person is a minor, his guardian has given his consent thereto Cultural and Educational Rights”.
With this letter, we request you to kindly take immediate action by giving directions to the concerned authorities to cancel its recognition. We also request you direct concerned authorities to register an FIR against the school management.”
The states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana are a hotbed for conversion activities. The MRH School was established in 1936 by missionary Rev GB Garden and his wife.
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