© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
Tags:
Journalism of Courage
Continuing with the BJP’s outreach to the minority Christian community in Kerala, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met eight bishops of various Christian denominations on Monday and is learnt to have sought the community’s support for the party, which is trying to gain a foothold in the state.
Jacobite Church bishop Joseph Mar Gregorius said Modi highlighted the Christian community’s pro-BJP stand in Goa and the states in the Northeast but expressed doubt whether the Prime Minister’s meeting with the bishops would fetch the party votes in Kerala. “People do not vote as per the directive of bishops. People evaluate the performance of a government before casting their vote. People are enlightened. However, at the meeting we could raise (many) issues,’’ he said.
Among issues that figured in the meeting are the farm sector crisis, rights of Dalit Christians and livelihood issues of the coastal fishermen community, sources said.
Sources privy to details said Modi did not give any assurance on the issues the bishops raised. “When the issue of rubber farmers was raised, Modi said he was aware of it, but he did not react on the issues of Dalit Christians and woes of fishermen, especially against the backdrop of the draft of the blue economy policy that fishermen were opposing,’’ a source said.
Besides Alencherry and Gregorius, the other prelates who took part in the meeting are Syro-Malankara Catholic Church head Cardinal Clemis, Latin Catholic archbishop Joseph Kalathiparambil, Malankara Orthodox Church head Baselios Mar Thomas Mathews III, Knanaya Catholic Archbishop Mathew Moolakkatt, Chaldean Church head Mar Awgin, and Knanaya Jacobite archbishop Severios Kuriakose.
Alencherry told the media: “We shared the needs of the Christian community, as also the needs we are visualising for people of Kerala. We presented before him the woes of farmers, problems of fishermen, the rights of Dalit Christians. He spoke about what he had done for Kerala and Christians. He mentioned 10% reservation for the poor without any consideration of religion. We also shared our anxieties about (Christian) missionary work in North India, which are hindered by religious fundamentalism.”
He said the Prime Minister assured them that there would be “protection for all the faithful in the country. He also mentioned the visit of Pope Francis to India in near future.”
Gregorius said, “Modi promised a favourable approach on the issues we raised. He also want similar meetings in future.”
