THOOTHUKUDI: The Thoothukudi Roman Catholic diocese celebrated its centenary functions at the Sacred Heart church campus here on Saturday. Speaking on the occasion, Assembly Speaker Appavu said Christianity reached Tamil Nadu and Kerala coasts 2,000 years ago, and it took 1,900 years to form a Thoothukudi Roman Catholic diocese.
“The Paravars who were the first to embrace Christianity in the pearl fishery coast, were not forcibly converted. They embraced Christianity because the Portuguese ensured them safety and protection of the pearl fishing right, which was usurped by the Muhamaddans from the Travancore kingdom. The Catholic bishops, fathers and sisters, did not form this on a single day. It became a reality after years of sacrifice,” he said.
Several forces meddled in the Michaelpatti issue to paint a religious conversion theory, however, Chief Minister MK Stalin stood by the truth and went up to the Supreme Court to nullify the prejudices, he added. Taking a dig at Governor RN Ravi’s controversial remarks about the Kudankulam and Sterlite agitations being foreign-funded, Appavu said,
“Even the CBI that probed the case could not produce evidence for foreign influence in the protest before the HC. However, the governor is wantonly making unsavoury remarks, and it is disappointing,” he added. He noted Stalin had withdrawn all the cases filed against the protesters as promised during the elections. The institutions of the diocese were not meant to teach ‘sanatan dharma’, but to share peace, Appavu said.