KOCHI: The Commission for Social Harmony and Vigilance of the Kerala Catholic Bishops Council (KCBC) has urged the Christian fraternity, in the latest issue of Jagratha, the newsletter published by the Commission, to be vigilant about the 'love jehad' operandi adopted by religious extremists to effect conversion on the pretext of love.
The newsletter, circulated among the faithful, says that bringing up children in the spiritual way is the best means to fight the love jehad.
The Commission makes several suggestions to parents. "If children are using mobile phones, parents should monitor incoming and outgoing calls.
Parents should also give awareness to girls about the traps which they may come across. The computers should be placed in common places at home and their history checked frequently. The parents should be alert if teenagers are keeping a distance from family members," the Commission says.
"It's a shocking revelation that around 4,000 girls have been subjected to religious conversion since 2005 after they fell in love," it says. Since these girls were majors, having reached 18 years of age, their action could not be challenged in court.
The newsletter points out that the victims are unaware of the fate that awaits them. They sacrifice everything for love but do not find a better life. They "are sexually harassed or have to spend the rest of their life in a pathetic condition without any freedom".
The parents, after the disgrace to the family, hesitate to seek 'the lost lamb' or complain to the police, which helps the jehadis.
The newsletter gives a district-wise breakup of 2,868 girls who fell into the net of love jehadis from 2006-09, with Kasargod district alone accounting for 586. "We have to address the issue seriously.
This is not a conflict between religions, but should be considered as social evil,," said Fr Johny Kochuparambil, secretary, Commission for Social Harmony and Vigilance.