
Forcible conversions happening in Kerala, not in Chhattisgarh: Syro-Malabar Church
In a statement issued by the Syro Malabar Church media commission, the Church noted that the main allegation against nuns serving in Chhattisgarh was that they were engaging in forcible religious conversion. 'However, the significant issue is the forceful religious conversion occurring in Kothamangalam in Ernakulam. A Christian girl ended her life after forceful conversion threats,' the statement said.
The family of the 23-year-old girl from Kothamangalam raised allegations of forcible religious conversion after she died by suicide. A note recovered from the house alleged that she was pressured by her boyfriend and his father to embrace their faith, it said.
It was unfortunate that girls did not realise that 'religious fundamentalists were exploiting love as a means to deceive women,' the statement said. 'It is expected that the accused will be punished. Political parties should oppose such elements,' it added.

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The Hindu
7 hours ago
- The Hindu
‘Bishops failed Catholic community in refusing to hear it before making political decisions'
Few voices within the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church have been as candid and willing to challenge its hierarchy as Fr. Paul Thelakat's. The former spokesperson of the Church in Kerala is known for his deep theological insights and fearless critique of power centres. In a conversation with The Hindu, Fr. Thelakat reflects on the rise of communal narratives within sections of the clergy, the socio-economic shifts reshaping the Syrian Christian community, and the attacks on Christians in north and central Indian States. You have previously criticised the Catholic Church leadership for appearing to be accommodative of Hindutva forces. How do you view your warnings now? The Churches in India must evaluate political parties not according to what they say to the bishops but according to their ideologies and manifestos in relation to the basic humanistic commitments. The International Congress of Hinduism in Delhi in 2014 had publicly announced Christian missionaries as one of its enemies among the 'five malicious groups'. It is true that some leaders of the BJP in Kerala have shown a condescending approach to the Church leaders, but no leader stated anything with regard to a change in their ideology. Do you think there is an attempt to destroy the communal amity in Kerala? Has the Church leadership also been a party to it? There exists a secular culture in Kerala which recognises Muslims and Christians as equal citizens with respect and honour. The Hindus in Kerala are very democratic and respect secular values. Unfortunately, some kind of communal spite and even hate is being propagated, especially against the Muslim community. Certain members of the Christian leadership spoke of 'love jihad' and 'narcotic jihad', thereby aligning themselves with communal prejudice. How do you see the attacks on Christians in the North Indian States? The Sangh Parivar organisations are creating fear among minorities in the northern States where any individual or group that falls in the five categories of enemies can be attacked and false accusations and completely wrongful FIRs be lodged against them. Priests and nuns are afraid to travel in their religious attire. Nuns in Kerala and other States have taught millions of students of all religions in private and government-aided schools and colleges. There had been no accusations of conversion. Millions of patients have been nursed by nuns. How do you see Archbishop Mar Joseph Pamplany's statement expressing gratitude to the BJP after bail was granted to the nuns arrested on human trafficking and forced conversion charges in Chhattisgarh? He had earlier promised votes for the BJP if the price of rubber was raised to a certain level. Was the bishop right in seeking to trade the votes of the faithful? Archbishop Pamplany's statement was unfortunate but he has not in reality betrayed Christ as some others have done for their personal ambitions and institutional interests. Unfortunately, the bishops have failed the Catholic community in refusing to hear it before they make political decisions. It is unfortunate that we have to recognise that there is a communal tendency within the Church, especially among the clergy. There is a suggestion that nuns must eschew their habit when travelling outside. This is to prevent incidents such as what happened in Chhattisgarh? How to dress, what to cook in the kitchen or what to eat are personal matters about which no politics must interfere, but now these are the very things the Hindutva forces impose on all. The pity is that the law-enforcing authorities pretend not to see such incidents. The law is not applied equally to all. Why are some priests and bishops leaning towards the BJP? Are they afraid of action by Central agencies? Their stance reflects George Orwell's notion of 'double speak'. The ED (Enforcement Directorate) has been used for political purposes, as seen in the electoral bonds cases. Is there a division between Christians and Muslims in Kerala? Do you think there are conscious attempts to create such a conflict? It is a sad fact that there was an orchestrated campaign against the Muslim community with such a hate propaganda, and some bishops and priests joined it consciously or unconsciously. Traditionally, Syrian Christians were tied to land and agriculture. The new generation, however, pursued professional careers through education, and shows little interest in land ownership. Many have migrated overseas for work. While Christians sell their land, Muslims, who have both the resources and the population, are buying it. This has created a mimetic rivalry which perhaps underlie the Synod bishops' statement on love jihad. Do you believe the law on religious habits for nuns should be strictly followed? Christians must learn how to live in a culture of hate. In matters of nuns, decisions should be made without outside interference. I regret to note that the male-dominated culture in the Church is also weakening the convents.


India Today
11 hours ago
- India Today
Nuns Arrest: After Muslims, Target Christians?
Ever since Narendra Modi took over as prime minister in 2014, critics of his government have questioned the treatment of Indian Muslims. Call it the lingering shadow of the 2002 Gujarat riots or the majoritarian worldview of a Hindutva ideology, somehow the Modi government has never been able to shed the perception that it demonises Indian government's image hasn't been helped by the hotheads of the Sangh Parivar who every now and then commit the most unspeakable crimes against Muslims, either in action or words. Only recently, a Sri Rama Sene leader was arrested in Belagavi in Karnataka for allegedly poisoning drinking water at a government school to malign a Muslim headmaster and get him transferred. While hate speech against Indian Muslims has become worryingly 'normalised', what is less spoken about is the BJP's complex equation with a minority within minorities: the country's Christian July 26, two Christian nuns, originally from Kerala, were detained at the Durg police station in BJP-ruled Chhattisgarh, accused of human trafficking and forced conversion. Prima facie the charges were trumped up by the local Bajrang Dal in this tribal-dominated area. The girls who were allegedly being trafficked have gone on record saying they had gone voluntarily with the nuns because they wanted to be trained as professional nurses. The parents of the girls were also on record to say that they had given their daughters permission to go in search of better job opportunities. And yet, the local police chose to turn a blind eye. Instead, the police took a complaint filed by a local Bajrang Dal member at face value and detained the nuns: there are even reports and visuals of a Bajrang Dal member, Jyoti Sharma, threatening and assaulting those who had come out in support of the nuns. Instead of coming out in support of the nuns, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai defended the police and Bajrang of this should come as a surprise. I was in Chhattisgarh during the 2023 state assembly elections when I met a group of tribals in a small village in Narayanpur. They told me how they were living in fear of right-wing Hindutva groups who had socially ostracised them and would not even give them permission to bury their dead unless they re-converted to Hinduism. 'Ghar-wapsi" of Christian tribals has been a well-organised programme for years now of the Sangh Parivar and its Vanvasi Kalyan Kendras to counter what they claim is the forced or induced conversion of tribals to Christianity by missionary of religion is a constitutional right, as is the right to convert to a religion of one's choice: let's not forget Babasaheb Ambedkar and his supporters much publicised conversion to neo-Buddhism. But constitutional rights can be selective: so the right to convert to Christianity is seen as forced and criminal, and re-conversion to Hinduism is seen as voluntary and a blessing. State patronage to Bajrang Dal and VHP has meant that these groups can now move around with impunity, create an atmosphere of fear and hostility, and thereby push for ghar-wapsi with active support from the men in the nuns were granted bail only after a cross-section of Kerala MPs met Home Minister Amit Shah and sought his urgent intervention. The home ministry acted swiftly, not because Mr Shah has suddenly developed any special love for the nuns, but because the arrest of the nuns has become a major political flashpoint in Kerala, a state with a large Christian population and a state which goes to the polls next BJP is keen to woo the Christian community in Kerala and create a broader Hindu-Christian compact in a state where it is desperate to get a foothold. Not surprisingly then, among those who were there at the airport to greet the nuns on their return to Kerala was the newly-minted BJP Kerala Chief Rajeev also not forget that the BJP is in power in states like Goa and has coalition partners in states like Meghalaya and Nagaland, all with large Christian populations. While the BJP may find it politically expedient to sterotype Muslims, downsize India's only Muslim-majority state to a union territory overnight, it cannot afford to openly target Christians since that will lead to instant criticism, not just in India but last December, PM Modi, who has never attended an Eid event with Muslim clergy, joined the Christmas celebrations hosted by the Catholic Bishops Conference of India where he emphasised the teachings of Lord Christ, advocating for love, harmony and brotherhood. The previous year, on Christmas, the Prime Minister hosted prominent Christian community leaders at his residence for tea and spoke once again in glowing terms about the values of Jesus Christ. Mr Modi was, by all accounts, a most affable and charming yet, what is the point of the charm offensive if the message of peace and tolerance doesn't percolate to those on the ground? What happens when nuns and missionaries are accused by the Bajrang Dal of forced conversion, persecuted and labelled 'anti-national', criminals and worse?Recall the horrific killing of missionary Graham Staines and his two young children in 1999 in Odisha by Bajrang Dal leader Dara Singh, a permanent blot on this country's tradition of inter-faith harmony. Recall more recently how an ailing octogenarian priest, Father Stan Swamy, was picked up by the police, branded a Naxal sympathiser, arrested as a terrorist under UAPA , even denied a straw sipper in jail until court intervention and eventually died in June this year, a BJP MLA from Sangli, Gopichand Padalkar, offered a bounty ranging from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 11 lakh for acts of violence against Christian priests and missionaries engaging in 'forceful conversions' . According to Open Doors, a global watchdog group, India ranked 11th in 2024 on the list of countries of particular concern in terms of Christian reality, despite the constant propaganda of mass conversion, Christians make up only 2.3% of the population. Interestingly, in 1971, census records show that Christians made up 2.6%. Officially, the population has declined and yet, there is this constant insidious campaign that conversions are happening on a mass scale through force, fraud and does one put an end to this anti-Christian mindset? Maybe this Christmas, the Prime Minister shouldn't just host a tea and extol the virtues of Jesus Christ but simply and sternly call out the Bajrang Dal in unequivocal terms. This is what would truly endear Mr Modi and the BJP to India's Christian community. Not well-choreographed The Hindutva propaganda machine accuses Christian missionaries of using education as a 'weapon' for conversion. What they won't tell you is that some of India's finest, including ministers at the Centre, have had the benefit of a missionary school education.(Rajdeep Sardesai is a senior journalist and author. His latest book is 2024: The Election That Surprised India)- Ends(Views expressed in this opinion piece are those of the author)Must Watch


The Print
21 hours ago
- The Print
Recent ‘attacks on minorities' threaten harmony, must be addressed: CBCI
He called for celebrating freedom, unity, justice, and the Christian contribution to nation-building. In a statement issued by the CBCI on the eve of Independence Day, Thazhath said independence was a cherished gift, whose value becomes even more significant in our times, when freedom, equality, and justice are constantly tested. New Delhi, Aug 14 (PTI) Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI) president Andrews Thazhath on Thursday said the recent 'attacks on minorities' threaten harmony, and must be addressed with urgency. The CBCI president also said it is the sacred duty of the government and all political parties to protect the rights and values guaranteed by the Constitution. 'On this historic day, we joyfully celebrate the 79th Independence Day of our beloved nation. As the President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India, I extend my heartfelt greetings to all citizens of our great country,' he said. 'Independence is a cherished gift, whose value becomes even more significant in our times, when freedom, equality, and justice are constantly tested,' he said. He said true national progress can only be achieved when every citizen enjoys these blessings in full measure. 'In our richly diverse land, unity rooted in the vision of our Constitution is essential for lasting peace and development. It is the sacred duty of the Government and all political parties to protect the rights and values guaranteed by the Constitution,' he said. 'In a nation where people of many faiths live together, the safety, dignity, and freedom of minorities are vital to our integrity as a people. Recent attacks on minorities by anti-social elements threaten this harmony and must be addressed with urgency,' he said. The CBCI president said Christians in India have made significant contributions to our nation's freedom struggle and to its ongoing nation-building. He named Accamma Cherian, Madhusudan Das, Joseph Baptista, and Amrit Kaur, among the Christians who played notable roles in the freedom struggle. 'From valiant freedom fighters to tireless service in education, healthcare, social upliftment, and rural development, the Christian community has worked hand in hand with fellow citizens to strengthen the fabric of our nation,' he said. 'On this day, I pray that we may live without fear, in freedom, dignity, and mutual respect. May God bless India,' Thazhath added. The CBCI has been raising concerns over the alleged rise in attacks on Christians and other minorities in the country. The arrest of two nuns hailing from Kerala in Chhattisgarh on charges of human trafficking, alleged remarks against Christian priests by BJP MLA in Maharashtra, Gopichand Padalkar, and a mob attack on Catholic priests in Odisha have been raised by the CBCI. PTI AO SKY SKY This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.