‘I did not insult Prophet… Church’s cruel approach more painful than attack’

Recuperating from the multiple injuries on his leg and hands,Joseph has been pleading innocence. The lone breadwinner of a family of four,he asked the politically powerful management to take him back as he needed the income from his job at this critical juncture. The Kothamangalam Catholic diocese refused the mercy petition on the ground that the lecturer had not apologised for offending the Muslims.

Thomas Malekudy,college manager,says the punishment could be reduced only if Joseph offered an unconditional apology for insulting the religion in the question paper. The management could not shoulder the blame for creating a riot-like situation,he says.

But Joseph claims he had “apologised for the question paper and other incidents” soon after the controversy in March.

On Saturday,Joseph said he would move the University Appellate Tribunal,which deals with the issues of employees and faculty members of colleges affiliated to various universities in the state. Meanwhile,although Joseph gained the support of the Left government,the university and a large number of cultural leaders,the Catholic diocese of Kothamangalam hardened its stand. The diocese issued a circular,to be read in churches on Sunday,justifying the action against Joseph.

“The Catholic Church is forcing me to say that I had insulted the Prophet. The Church has some other intention behind that move. I had not insulted Islam,” says Joseph. After being discharged from a Kochi hospital,where his severed palm was sutured back,Joseph has been shuttling between his house at Muvattupuzha and Kochi hospital everyday for physiotherapy.

“The treatment has already cost Rs 7 lakh. Now,I have to spend Rs 2,000 per day to meet the cost of treatment and travel expenses. I have an outstanding home loan; my two children are studying in colleges; and the dismissal has forced me to spend money on a legal battle. The cruel approach of the Church was more painful than the attack. Contrary to the claim,the college management had not given me any financial assistance. Even the diocese had not responded to my letter so far. Only my colleagues in the three colleges under the diocese sent money for my treatment,” says Joseph.

Preparing to return to college,Joseph was learning to write with his left hand as mobility is yet to be restored to the sutured right palm. “The PFI activists had an agenda behind attacking me as they had come several times to my home,exploring the chances to finish off me. But why did the management fail to explain what had happened exactly. My college could not give me any protection. The Church punished me in the cruelest manner,” he says.

Referring to the question paper controversy,Joseph says: “I had not insulted the Prophet. The Malayalam word Padachone (God) is generally used by Muslims to address God. The passage picked up for punctuation was a conversation between a mad man and God. Since the mad man was using the Muslim usage — Padachone — to address God,I gave him a common Muslim name,Muhammed. I did not expect it to be wrongly interpreted.  The passage was taken from a reference text prescribed by the university,” he says.

Joseph says no student had complained about the question paper,although “a Muslim student in the class told me that she had changed the dialogue between God and Muhammad into one between two brothers”.

He says he came to know about the tension in the college on March 26,three days after the exam. “The principal and the manager told me not to come to college as the issue was related to the question paper. As I was forced to go into hiding,the local print and visual media began to play up the issue as an insult to the Prophet. There was nobody to explain my version. The management failed to explain what exactly had happened. My college could not give me any protection. The management did not communicate about the threatening letters it had received,” he says.

As the head of the value education cell at the college for the past two years,the member of the Left-affiliated college teachers union used to write on humanism,non-violence,thrift,culture and life. “The notes prepared by me were distributed and discussed in all classrooms. Now,the management says I insulted the religion and their God. There were attempts to paint me as an atheist after the question paper controversy,” says Joseph.

He says he tries to find solace in the fact that the PFI attack and the Church’s action triggered positive discussions on religious fundamentalism. He points out that while he has been punished,the college has not cancelled the exam.

Kothamangalam diocese spokesperson Sony Nelliyani says the management had warned him to be careful after the controversy. “He could have given his explanation,instead of absconding,” he says.