Assam Christians alarmed at fee regulation bill

By Allen Brooks

Guwahati, Nov 26, 2025: The Assam Christian Forums (ACF), representing Christian communities, has expressed concern over a government move to regulate the fee structure in private schools in the northeastern Indian state.

The Assam Private Educational Institutions (Regulation of Fees) Amendment Bill, 2025, was among 27 new laws the state cabinet approved on November 25 to table in the legislative assembly.

The proposed private school law would strip away long-standing protections for minority-run schools, by allowing unchecked government control over their fee structures, the ACF said in a statement on November 26.

The bill ends the previous hands-off approach for minority schools and hands the state sweeping powers to fix fees, monitor collections, and intervene at will, the forum pointed out.

Christian missionary institutions that have been pillars of education in Assam for over a century say the bill is a direct attack on their freedom to run schools in line with their values and needs.

“We are pained and feel intimidated,” said ACF chairman Archbishop John Moolachira of Guwahati. “These schools are not businesses; they are nation builders, our community’s heartbeat, preserving our identity, language, and culture through education. Now, the government wants to decide how we fund them, which could force many to close or lose what makes them special,” the prelate added.

The forum points out that the bill comes in the wake of the earlier passing of the Assam Healing (Prevention of Evil) Practices Act, 2024 (Assam Act No. VIII of 2024), where Christians were targeted.

Without the ability to set reasonable fees, these schools may struggle to pay teachers, maintain facilities, or offer scholarships to poor students, many from tribal and remote areas, the forum adds.

The law could dilute the unique Christian ethos that has defined them, violating the sacred promise in Article 30(1) of the Indian Constitution, which guarantees minorities, both Religious and Linguistic, the right to establish and manage their own educational institutions, the forum explains.

The Christians in the state worry that the bill will be the start of more interference, threatening the survival of minority education in a diverse state like Assam.

The forum recalls “the unmatched contributions of missionary schools” even before India attained its Independence. “Long before government systems took root, Christian missionaries arrived in Assam in the 19th century, braving jungles and hardships to light the flame of learning,” the forum points out.

It says Christians had built the first schools and pioneered modern education in Assam, boosting literacy rates from near zero to over 70 percent today.

They educated leaders, farmers, and dreamers alike, especially uplifting women, tribals, and the underprivileged, helped protect many tribal languages, including Assamese – all while fostering interfaith harmony.

“These schools didn’t wait for permissions; they created opportunities where none existed,” said ACF vice chairman Reverend Bernard K Marak, who is the general secretary of the Assam Baptist Convention.

“From Pre-Independence days, when Assam was a forgotten corner of British India, missionaries planted seeds of knowledge that grew into the state’s proud educational tree. To now handcuff them with rigid rules feels like forgetting history and betraying the Constitution’s spirit,” Reverend Marak said.

The Christian forum urged the Assam government to rethink the Bill.

“Amend it to respect minority rights – include our voices in any oversight body and protect our autonomy,” Archbishop John Moolachira appealed. “Let’s build on our shared legacy, not tear it down. Education unites us; let’s keep it that way.”

The forums urged citizens, leaders, and media to stand with minority institutions. “Together, we can ensure Assam’s schools remain beacons of hope for generations to come,” it added.