KOCHI: Deepika, the Malayalam daily run by the Catholic Church, on Tuesday raised serious concerns over the elopement of Joisna Joseph and MS Shejin. The editorial titled ‘The Questions Raised by Kodanchery’ in the daily said people should think why some marriages were triggering controversies in a state where thousands of interfaith unions take place.
“It is not just Christians who raise concerns over interfaith marriages involving Muslim youths. All from the Hindu, Christian and Muslim communities should think about it. Else, innocent people in Muslim community will face accusations over the threat posed by Muslim extremist organisations,” it said, adding, “Instead of threatening the family of Joisna in the name of secularism and religious harmony, mysteries surrounding the incident should be cleared.”
The editorial expressed concerns over the accusations by political parties and media alleging attempts to disrupt communal harmony in the state. It also said doubts were raised on whether Shejin and Joisna’s was an innocent love affair.
“Why was Joisna repeatedly calling a person to return the money he borrowed? Who is this leader who borrowed money from her and refused to return it? If he was in love with her, what was the need to detain and threaten her as was heard in the phone call (made by the girl’s sister)? ” it asked.