Kochi: Major Archbishop Mar Raphael Thattil of the Syro-Malabar Church has formally written to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, urging an end to the discrimination faced by Christian-aided schools in the appointment of teachers, particularly concerning reservations for differently-abled candidates. In his letter, the Major Archbishop emphasized the urgent need for the government to take a positive decision regarding over sixteen thousand teachers already appointed in aided schools under Catholic management.
According to Mar Raphael Thattil, once vacancies have been legally filled under the differently-abled reservation category, all other appointments should be approved and regularized. The Supreme Court of India, in a verdict concerning the Nair Service Society (NSS), had affirmed the rights of managements to appoint teachers in schools under their administration. The Court further clarified that this favorable judgment applies equally to other similar managements.
The Consortium of Catholic Managements, representing the KCBC Commission for Education, had approached the Kerala High Court to ensure that Catholic managements receive the same consideration. The High Court issued a favorable order, acknowledging that the Catholic managements’ applications should be considered in light of the Supreme Court verdict for NSS and the corresponding government orders.
However, the current government order has restricted the implementation of the Supreme Court verdict to NSS alone, stating that a separate court order is required for other managements. Mar Raphael Thattil pointed out that this stance is discriminatory, as the Supreme Court explicitly noted that favorable judgments granted to one management in similar circumstances extend to others as well. He stressed that this unequal treatment violates the principle of equal justice under the law.
The Major Archbishop highlighted the severe consequences of the government’s inaction. Thousands of teachers are facing financial hardships, while personal, familial, and community tensions have escalated, leading to extreme distress among teachers some even driven to consider suicide.
In light of these developments, Mar Raphael Thattil requested the Chief Minister to urgently intervene and ensure justice for the teachers of Christian-aided schools, stressing that timely action is essential to safeguard both the rights and well-being of these educators.
This appeal underscores the continuing tension between administrative procedures and judicial directives in Kerala’s education sector, highlighting the need for equitable treatment of all aided school managements while respecting reservation policies.