THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The statements made by certain organisations and Church leaders regarding the reservation to Nadar Community are against facts and are misleading, CSI Moderator and South Kerala Diocese Bishop Rev J W Gladstone has said.
He was addressing a news conference here on Friday to announce the Golden Jubilee celebrations of CSI South Kerala Diocese.
“ The recent Government Order extending reservations to Nadar Hindu and Nadar SIUC communities came on the basis of a report submitted by the State Minority Commission. This was on the basis of a judgment of the Supreme Court in a case in which these two communities were the only parties. So, no other communities will come under this order. Suppressing these facts, certain organisations and Church leaders are trying to showcase it as a new thing passed by the State Government for these two communities,’’ Gladstone said.
As per the State Minority Commission Act 2003, in order to re-arrange the reservation eligibility of the existing communities the State Government should conduct a socio-economic survey. “But, instead of going through such established ways to achieve their needs, certain sections are making wrong statements which intend to sabotage the reservation enjoyed by those who are eligible. The SIUC leadership will resist such attempts at all costs,’’ Gladstone said.
GOLDEN JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS
Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan will inaugurate the golden jubilee celebrations of the diocese at a function to be held on the LMS Compound on December 21. Opposition leader Oommen Chandy will inaugurate the star festival on the occasion.
As part of the year-long celebrations, the CSI diocese plans to launch various initiatives, including marriage insurance for girls belonging to poor families and steps to strengthen palliative care programmes. The diocese will adopt villages to implement various development programmes, including job training. Rev Gladstone said that various counselling initiatives taken up by the diocese over the last several years have produced remarkable results.