Churches question passive8217; minority panel

The National Council of Churches, a confederation of Episcopal Churches in India, which met at Tiruvalla here last month, had severely criticised the NCM report denying any communal motive behind all the five attacks reported in the areas under Agra Archdiocese during March-April.

The reports of the murder of Malayali missionary George Kuzhikandathil and the spurt of attacks on spiritual conventions and churches in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh have sent shock waves in various Churches of Tiruvalla which send a majority of evangelists for mission works in these States.

Reacting sharply to the 8220;passive role8221; played by the Minorities Commission on such attacks, the spiritual head of Mar Thoma Church, Mar Chrisostem Metropolitan, said that the Mar Thoma Church would demand an effective intervention by the Commission in the recurring attacks on Christians in various parts of the country.

8220;There is a concerted effort to destroy the churches and to intimidate the Christian evangelists and missionaries. We are not to put the blame on any particular section. For we don8217;t really know who is behind all these activities. But the Government is committed to taking stringent measures to dispel the fear that has gripped the minorities across the country,8221; the Metropolitan told NIE here today.

Meanwhile, the para-church movements, many of which are having their headquarters in Tiruvalla, have directed their spear of criticism against the Christian representative in the commission, John Joseph, a native of Pathanamthitta who is incidentally a Pentecost believer.

Maruppacha8217;, one of the largest circulated church journals among the para-church groups in the State, in its latest issue has described John Joseph as a betrayer8217;of Christian community. Several other church journals have also come out openly against John Joseph for turning a tool8217; in the hands of the fascist8217; Government to implement its hidden agenda.

However, taking a cue from the observations of Minority Commission on the mounting attacks on Christians, Kraisthava Chinda8217;, another leading church journal, has held a group of money minting evangelists8217; responsible for precipitating the minority attacks in the country.

The Pentecostal Press Association of India, a confederation of para-church journals and the Thrissur-based Bishop Dr Paulose Mar Paulose Trust are among other Christian organisations which have come out openly against the Minority Commission.

The decision of the All-Kerala Catholic Congress AKCC to urge the Indian President to dissolve the Minority Commission and the recent statements by Episcopal Church leaders like Major Archbishop of Syro Malabar Church Mar Varkey Vithayathil and social activists like V R Krishna Iyer are a pointer to the fast eroding credibility of the Minority Commission.