Bishops' council criticises Kerala govt for turning Sundays into working days

This comes in the backdrop of the Kerala government’s order directing educational institutions to remain open on Sunday, October 2 to organise anti-narcotic awareness programmes.

TN National Desk

Updated Oct 1, 2022, 10:55 IST

KCBC - Credit: kcbc.co.in

New Delhi: The Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council or KCBC has hit out at the Kerala government for turning Sundays into working days.

In a press note, the apex body of the Catholic denomination said "for Christians, Sundays have much religious significance".

This comes in the backdrop of Kerala government’s order directing educational institutions to remain open on Sunday, October 2 to organise anti-narcotic awareness programmes.

The KCBC asked the Catholic educational institutions not to adhere to any future government orders that direct them to work on a Sunday. However, it said that students, teachers and parents can organise anti-drug awareness programmes on any other day.

"The state cabinet has decided to conduct various anti-drugs campaign programmes for students and government employees this Sunday (October 2) as part of Gandhi Jayanti. Since Sunday is religiously important for Christians, catholic schools won't function and all the programs planned by government will be conducted on any other day,” read the press note.

The state government had, in a circular dated September 28, asked all the schools to remain open on the Gandhi Jayanthi day to hold activities as a part of its ‘Drug-free Kerala’ initiative.

“On October 2, Sunday, the state-level inauguration of the anti-drug campaign by the CM and his speech afterwards are to be shown to the students at the school assembly,” the circular said.

“All those students who can come to the school should attend the function. The entire teaching staff has to be present in the school and take part in various activities like cleaning and anti-drug programmes,” said the circular.

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