Verghese V Joseph –
The political landscape of Kerala has witnessed significant upheaval due to recent events surrounding the electoral contest between Congress veteran AK Antony’s son, Anil Antony, a BJP candidate in the Pathanamthitta Lok Sabha seat, and the Congress candidate, Anto Antony. AK Antony’s public statement advocating for his son’s defeat and the victory of Anto Antony with an absolute majority has intensified the polarisation in Kerala’s political and pastoral discourse.
Another development is that the involvement of the Idukki Diocese of the Syro-Malabar Church in screening ‘The Kerala Story’ has further complicated the situation, shedding light on the intricate interplay between religion and politics in the state. This decision, coupled with the role of a Christian meditation centre in Anil Antony’s transition to the BJP earlier this year, has brought the Church’s political stance under scrutiny, revealing the nuanced dynamics at play in Kerala.
In recent years, the Kreupasanam Marian Retreat Centre and Socio-Cultural Centre, operating under the Catholic diocese of Alappuzha, have faced criticism for their alleged involvement in the controversy surrounding Anil Antony’s political shift to the BJP. The center’s alleged perceived influence in facilitating Anil Antony’s decision has raised questions about the intersection of faith-based institutions and political affiliations in Kerala.
The emergence of a video featuring AK Antony’s wife, Elizabeth Antony at the centre, justifying her son’s move to the BJP has sparked controversy within the Congress party. In the video, Elizabeth Antony attributes her son’s decision to divine intervention, citing prayers and guidance from the retreat center’s chief priest as instrumental in shaping her views towards the BJP, despite her initial reservations.
Meanwhile, the screening of ‘The Kerala Story’ by the Idukki Diocese of the Syro-Malabar Church has stirred debate and criticism for its alleged promotion of animosity towards Muslims and communists. The film’s content has been labelled as propaganda aimed at disrupting religious harmony, drawing contrasting reactions from political factions. While the BJP leadership, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has endorsed the film, opposition voices have condemned it as divisive and misleading.
In a related development, the Kerala Catholic Youth Movement (KCYM) under the Diocese of Thamarassery is planning to screen “Kerala Story” in all its units to express solidarity with the Diocese of Idukki.
KCYM is an umbrella organisation for youths of three Catholic rites — Latin Church, Syro-Malabar Church and Syro-Malankara Church in Kerala. It is also an official organisation under the Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council (KCBC).
The Syro-Malabar Church, historically aligned with the Indian National Congress, faces a challenging juncture as its involvement in political matters comes under scrutiny amidst evolving societal dynamics and shifting alliances within Kerala’s political landscape.
The recent polarising developments, including AK Antony’s public stance on the electoral contest and the Church’s engagement with contentious issues like ‘The Kerala Story’, underscore the intricate relationship between religion and politics in Kerala. The complexities arising from these events highlight the delicate balance that the Congress party must navigate in maintaining its traditional ties with the Syro-Malabar Church while addressing the diverse perspectives of its constituents and adversaries.
As the repercussions of these events continue to unfold, the Syro-Malabar Church’s position and actions will be closely monitored, with implications for its association with the Congress party and its commitment to fostering religious harmony and unity in Kerala
Love jihad is an Islamophobic rightwing conspiracy, and the Ministry of Home Affairs has not defined the term. In February 2020, junior Home Minister G Kishan Reddy in a reply to Congress member Benny Behanan told the Lok Sabha that there was no case of love jihad in Kerala.
In 2018, NIA too looked into the conspiracy theory against the backdrop of the Hadiya case and could not find any evidence of Muslim men luring women with love from other religions to forcefully convert them to Islam.
This is SHOCKING, The religious leaders of Kerala have lost the plot and are misguiding the people. SHAMEFUL.
Catholic church leaders are lazy.After Mass which is”said” with much difficulty they have politics and gossiping left to pass time.No connect with common people.So what can one expect from our church leaders? Comment posted here is also very selective.I never see my comment posted.This shows how decay has set in our organisation and sister institutions.