Christians under attack by ‘powers of darkness’ in Manipur, North India: Kerala Bishops

“Christians in Manipur and elsewhere in North India are facing brutal assault from the powers of darkness. There has been no effective intervention on the part of the authorities. It is high time we adopted a stand against the forces of evil. We should make use of the opportunity to express our opinion,” said Archbishop Thomas J Netto, head of the Thiruvananthapuram Latin Catholic Archdiocese, in his message delivered at the Cathedral Church in Kerala’s capital city.

The archbishop also mentioned the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, referring to it as an attempt to cultivate a narrow religion-based approach. “All Christian churches should stand united to acquire the strength for survival. Standing united is essential to protect the rights of religious minorities enshrined in the Constitution,” he said.

Similarly, Mar Thomas Tharayil, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Changanassery, said in his message that minorities should be able to live in the country without fear. “If the weakest person in the country is living under fear, that should be seen as the failure of that entire nation,” he said.

The BJP has been making attempts to win over Christians in Kerala, taking up initiatives such as a plan to visit all Christian households in the state.

The Thiruvananthapuram Latin Catholic Archdiocese, headed by Archbishop Netto, has a significant presence in the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha constituency, where the BJP has fielded Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar as its candidate. The Latin Catholic community in the constituency largely comprises fisherfolk.

Last week also, in a circular to be read out in all churches under his archdiocese, Archbishop Netto had raised concerns about attacks on minorities.

Incidentally, the Manipur government’s order on Wednesday to declare Easter Sunday a working day in the state, which has a significant Christian population, had created a furore in Kerala politics. The Congress in Kerala used the decision to mount a broadside on the BJP, which is in power in Manipur. Following backlash from Kerala and from Manipur itself, the order was modified on Thursday to make only Saturday (March 30) a working day while Easter Sunday will be a holiday.