Madhya Pradesh: The Madhya Pradesh government has initiated proceedings to take over a large parcel of land belonging to Indore Christian College, a nearly 140-year-old institution managed by the Protestant Church, citing an alleged violation of the original conditions under which the land was granted.
The property in question, measuring about 1.702 hectares (approximately 4.2 acres), is located in a prime area of Indore and is estimated to be worth nearly â‚ą4,000 crore (around US$43.65 million). According to the Indore district administration, the land was gifted in 1887 by the erstwhile Holkar dynasty to a Canadian Mission with the stated objective of establishing a hospital and a school, particularly aimed at the welfare and education of women.
The college itself was established in the same year and over time grew into a reputed higher education institution offering multiple undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. However, an order issued by Indore District Collector Shivam Verma on January 23, and subsequently reported by The Times of India on January 25, stated that the original purpose of the land grant is no longer being fulfilled.
The order pointed out that no women’s hospital is currently functioning on the premises and that the educational institution is now being operated by a different management entity. It further noted that the college charges fees from students, which the administration claimed constituted a departure from the original intent of the land grant.
Reacting to the development, a Church official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that the college management had earlier approached the government seeking permission to build commercial shops on a portion of the land that had remained unused for several decades. The proposal, according to him, was intended to generate revenue to sustain and develop the institution. “Instead of considering the request on its merits, the application was used as a basis to target Church property,” the official alleged.
The order reportedly instructed district officials to register the land in the name of the state government within three days. However, the process was delayed due to the intervening weekend and the January 26 Republic Day holiday. A senior district official stated that the original terms of the land grant empowered the government to reclaim the property if it was found to be used for purposes other than those originally specified.
College authorities have expressed serious concern over the implications of the move, particularly for the nearly 2,300 students currently enrolled in 17 undergraduate and postgraduate courses. Many students are in the midst of preparations for their annual examinations.
“If the government forcibly takes over the land on which the college stands, the future of thousands of students becomes uncertain,” the Church official said.
Madhya Pradesh, which is governed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has in recent years witnessed heightened scrutiny of Christian institutions by Hindu nationalist groups. Such groups have frequently accused Christian organizations of engaging in forced or fraudulent religious conversions allegations consistently denied by Church leaders.
The state is one of 12 in India that have enacted stringent anti-conversion laws, which criminalize religious conversions carried out through coercion, inducement, or fraud, with penalties including imprisonment and fines. Christians constitute approximately 0.27 percent of Madhya Pradesh’s population of over 72 million, while Hindus make up nearly 80 percent.
Confirming legal action, college principal Amit David told UCA News on January 27 that the institution has challenged the district administration’s order in the Madhya Pradesh High Court. He asserted that the land was gifted to the institution and not leased, but declined to share further details, stating that the matter is currently under consideration by the Indore bench of the High Court.