THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Archbishop M Soosa Pakiam, head of the Latin Archdiocese of Thiruvananthapuram, on Friday demanded immediate action against the police officers responsible for the lathicharge against the faithful in Bonacaud. He termed the lathicharge uncalled for and demanded a detailed investigation into the police action. Soosa Pakiam also requested the government to release the faithful taken into police custody.
The police action was a challenge thrown at the government and the court order. Several people, including priests, have been injured and admitted to hospitals, he said. The hillock in Bonacaud has been at the centre of a controversy after the Forest Department issued a notice on August 11 last year seeking the removal of the crosses in the region.
On August 18, the crosses were found to be destroyed. Though the government agreed to the erection of a wooden cross, it was found to be destroyed in November, triggering further unrest. ‘’The recent incidents in Bonacaud ‘Kurisumala’ is part of attempts made by by certain forces to destroy the communal harmony in the region. It is notable that no untoward incidents were reported up to 2017 in the pilgrim centre which was established in 1957 and to which pilgrimages have been undertaken since 1987,’’ Soosa Pakiam said.
