Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], September 17 (HBTV): The Syro-Malabar Church has strongly responded to claims made by Kesari, an RSS-affiliated Malayalam publication, regarding alleged religious conversions linked to the recent arrest of nuns in Chhattisgarh.
In a Facebook post featuring the message ‘Stop Hindu Fascism,’ the Church said the article published by Kesari was filled with falsehoods and historical distortions, deliberately designed to incite division, distrust, and disharmony between communities. It alleged that the publication continued to justify the ideological positions of the RSS without concern for communal harmony.
‘Kesari, the mouthpiece of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in Kerala, continues its role of justifying and whitewashing the ideological positions of the RSS, regardless of the impact on communal harmony or truth. The recent article, steeped in falsehoods and historical distortions, appears deliberately crafted to incite division, distrust, and disharmony between communities, especially targeting Christians in India,’ the Syro-Malabar Church stated.
The Church further expressed concern over growing restrictions on Christian gatherings, churches, and prayer meetings, saying that India’s constitutional secularism was under threat.
‘The growing restrictions on Christian gatherings, churches, and prayer meetings, not to mention the violence against pastors and lay believers, send a clear message to the world: India’s constitutional secularism is under siege,’ it said.
It also questioned the unequal treatment of religious freedoms in the country.
‘If Hindu spiritual leaders and gurus can freely propagate their teachings, establish temples, and receive foreign donations in Western countries, on what ethical or legal grounds can Christians or any other religious group be denied similar freedoms in India? Are we to believe in one set of rights for the majority and another for the minorities?’ the Church asked.
The controversy follows an article in Kesari Weekly which highlighted alleged forced conversions in Chhattisgarh after two nuns were arrested in July. The publication claimed that the Church was opposing anti-conversion laws in 11 states and attempting to create enmity among different religious groups. The article further argued that individuals who convert under missionary influence become hostile toward their former religion and are perceived as traitors to the country.
Meanwhile, the Syro-Malabar Church and the Kerala Catholic Bishop Council have separately raised concerns over property disputes with the Waqf Board. In a letter dated September 10 to the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, Archbishop Andrews Thazath, chairman of the Syro-Malabar Public Affairs Commission, alleged that the Waqf Board had unlawfully claimed properties belonging to Christian families in Cherai and Munambam villages of Ernakulam district.
‘In Ernakulam district of Kerala, numerous properties that have belonged to Christian families for generations in the villages of Cherai and Munambam have been unlawfully claimed by the Waqf Board, leading to protracted legal battles and the displacement of rightful owners. Around 600 families are under threat. One Catholic parish church, convent, and dispensary are also facing the threat of evacuation by the Waqf Board,’ Archbishop Thazath wrote.
The Commission urged the JPC to consider the plight of these families and other communities across India who are facing the threat of losing their ancestral lands.
(ANI)