End the Narcotic Jihad discourse, restore sanity
The public discourse on ‘Narcotic Jihad’ in Kerala, triggered by the remarks of a Catholic bishop who used the term in a sermon to warn about what he considered a new method to lure and convert Christian youths, has continued without pause for the last week. Joseph Kallarangatt, bishop of the Pala diocese of the Syro-Malabar Church, paired it with another contentious term, ‘Love Jihad’, used to describe the widely discussed conspiracy theory of how young non-Muslim women are targeted for conversion through deception, making it clear who he is talking about.
The polarising nature of the ongoing debate makes it imperative to put an end to it immediately. Instead, what we get are statements after statements from all stakeholders aimed at keeping the issue alive. While Muslim organisations want the bishop to withdraw the remarks, the church has thrown its weight behind the cleric, leading to an unfortunate standoff that could vitiate the atmosphere further. With political parties grabbing the opportunity to fish in the proverbial troubled waters, even CM Pinarayi Vijayan’s categorical statement that narcotics trade had nothing to do with any religion doesn’t seem to be enough to stop the distressing discourse.
No purpose is served by making communally-provoking statements, other than spreading hatred and hastening the polarisation process that is on. Religious leaders in influential positions especially must resist the temptation to pander to divisive sentiments prevalent in communities and lend credence to unconfirmed conspiracies. The church’s stand that the remarks were not against any particular community but were warnings against certain anti-social activities certainly lacks merit, but it can prevent further damage. The Muslim organisations would have served the cause of harmony had they let the matter rest without giving scope for further debate. It’s not possible to completely stop odd toxic voices making their presence felt now and then, but society must learn to ignore them in the interest of peace. The efforts being made by some religious leaders to restore communal harmony in this regard are welcome. Let’s hope better sense prevails and the tense air of acrimony and mistrust dissipates.