Secular parties should approach minorities directly: Sebastian Paul

The Hindu

2 days ago

Veteran politician Sebastian Paul on Monday (June 9) said it was high time the Communist parties in Kerala reached out to the Christian community without the mediation of the community-based political organisations. He was speaking at a seminar on 'Religions and Political Parties', held as part of the second anniversary celebrations of Deshiya Manavika Vedi in Kozhikode.
Mr. Paul urged Communist parties to come up with an action plan to create political awareness among the members of the community rather than appease the smaller political parties that often represent the community.
'It is quite difficult to bridge the gap between followers of communism and Christianity. Communist governments across the world have often clashed with the Church, not due to religious reasons, but due to financial and political factors,' he said.
He added that the core values advocated by Jesus Christ and Karl Marx were strikingly similar, as both stood for the oppressed and marginalised. 'However, the Church later transformed into a protector of vested interests, owning large tracts of property, while communism advocated for equitable distribution of resources among the public,' Paul said.
Filmmaker P.T. Kunhumuhammed, who presided over the seminar, pointed out the lack of influence of political organisations that claim to represent the Muslim population of the State. He shared Mr. Sebastian Paul's opinion that the major political parties should establish a direct line of contact with the minority communities.
Social critic KEN Kunjahammed, MES president Fazal Gafoor, and writer Khadeeja Mumtaz also participated in the session. Writer K. Satchidanandan joined the discussions virtually.