Mumbai: Forums for protection of over 5,000 educational institutions under the Catholic and mainstream Protestant Christian organisations in the country is mulled by them in the form of a representative body in New Delhi which will take up issues to protect their educational institutions.

"The need has arisen due to the spate of attacks on Christians and their institutions in Orissa and Mangalore last year," said National Council of Churches in India (NCCI) president Bishop T Sagar, as he further said that, "Setting up of such an organization would help resolve issues related to Christian educational institutions based in different parts of India with the central government."

The president further claimed that the need was realized long back and talks with the Catholic Church authorities to set up a committee, which could take up issues for the several thousands of institutions across the country was required. "The time has now ripe for the body to come up and handle its functions," he added.

While the Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) represents the Catholic Church, the NCCI represents most of the mainstream protestant Christian churches in India.

"The organization would shortly go public while assuming its role to sort out the problems of many Christian institutions across the country," announced the CBCI spokesperson in New Delhi, Fr Babu Joseph.

"With the panel, we will get an outlet to discuss the policy issues with the Central government along with a platform where we can discuss and point out our organization’s problems in different states," he said.

According to the Christian educators, this new organization would cater to the needs of their schools when they come under undue pressure from vested interests or in some cases attacked by political parties, which they feel is lacking today.

According to the Catholic circles, the urban areas do exercise this option of accessibility with the government and political parties at the state level but the rural areas lack this support at the Centre.

A large number of rural and small town educational institutions managed by Christian managements too share the same views in accessibility to policy matters in the capital.