THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state’s newly appointed representative in Delhi, K V Thomas, will hold talks with Church heads in a bid to sort out contentious issues with them and bring them closer to the government. The former Congress leader and CPM’s newfound ally arrived in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday night and will hold detailed discussions with the bishops on Saturday and Sunday.
Thomas will meet Thiruvananthapuram Latin archbishop Thomas J Netto at 9am on Saturday. The Latin archdiocese had led a four-month-long protest against the Vizhinjam seaport project. The Church heads who were forced to come to the negotiating table after the protests turned violent, said there were some grey areas that have to be addressed by the government.
The Church is not happy with the tardy process of rehabilitation. They also want a share in the jobs created in Vizhinjam port. The CPM and the government want Thomas to take the clergy into confidence on contentious issues. Thomas may also visit the flats constructed under the Punargeham project for fishermen who lost land and houses to sea erosion. He is also likely to visit the Vizhinjam port site. A final decision in this regard will be taken after the meeting with the archbishop.
Thomas is also scheduled to meet Cardinal Baselios Clemis of Syro Malankara Catholic Church, and Syro Malabar Catholic Church major archbishop George Alencherry in Ernakulam. After the second Pinarayi Vijayan government came to power, the Church had raised issues related to the higher education sector. The church is sore over setting up of deemed universities and issues related to MG University.
Thomas told TNIE that the meetings are just courtesy calls. “I haven’t met the Church leaders since I took charge in New Delhi,” he said. A CPM state secretariat member said there was no controversy in Thomas meeting the Church heads. “He is government representative,” he said.