CNA Staff, Oct 21, 2020 / 15:42 pm
Several bishops in Kerala held a day-long hunger strike Tuesday to protest the state government's withholding of funds from Catholic schools.
The hunger strike was held Oct. 20 in front of the Kerala state secretariat. The prelates participating were Bishops Joshuah Kizhakkeveettil of the Syro-Malankara Eparchy of Mavelikara, chair of the Kerala bishops' education commission; Paul Mullassery of Quilon, the vice chair; and Thomas Tharayil, an auxiliary of the Syro-Malabar Archeparchy of Changanacherry.
Archbishop Maria Callist Soosa Pakiam of Trivandrum said the state government "curtails our rights as a religious minority to run education institutions through arbitrary orders and amendments to the existing laws," UCA News reported.
Christians run about 5,000 of Kerala's 13,000 schools. The government is required to provide financial aid to over half of these schools to support teachers' salaries.