KOCHI: The opinion expressed by the Syro-Malabar Church’s Ernakulam-Angamaly archdiocese lays bare the concerns of the Christian community on the growing influence of the Muslim League in the UDF and buttresses Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s statement that the Congress has surrendered itself to the League, said political analysts. They are of the view that the Church is adopting a pressure tactic for securing their interests even as it keeps all three options open as the state heads for the assembly elections in four months’ time.
The latest editorial in ‘Sathyadeepam’ weekly, the official mouthpiece of the archdiocese, did not spare a punch to the Congress-led UDF for the overwhelming influence of the League in the front’s political affairs. “It’s very difficult to read the Church’s exact political stand from the article. But one thing is clear: the situation is tough for the Congress which enjoyed the Church’s support traditionally and historically,” said Sebastian Paul, political observer and former MP.
Paul said the Church is highlighting the economic angle as the article has pointed out the disproportionate allocation of minority funds in the ratio of 80:20 to the Muslim community. J Prabhash, political analyst, however, pointed out that the Church has not changed its att i t u d e t owa r d s t h e Left. “Though LDF has changed its stance towards the Church, the latter is continuing the same stand it has taken since 1959, during the Liberation Struggle (Vimochana Samaram),” he said.
According to him, LDF has adopted a strategy of appeasing all communities and thereby winning the elections. The Church is applying pressure by citing the direct intervention by the prime minister in the Jacobite- Orthodox feud. “With this, they have pointed out that there is an alternative to UDF and LDF, which is NDA,” Prabash said.
“The Church has sent a clear message out to UDF through the editorial,” he said. The editorial cautioned that the ways in which the various political fronts would address the political insecurity of the Christian minorities would be decisive in the upcoming assembly polls. “A change in the political stance of Christian communities except Latin Catholics has happened.
But, it’s premature to say as to which front will benefit from this shift. BJP leaders are trying to exploit the situation. It’s for the first time the prime minister has directly intervened in the Church feud. A section of the community is moving towards BJP but one cannot say now that it will turn favourable for the saffron party in the upcoming poll,” said Paul.
Wake-up call
Loud and clear The latest editorial in ‘Sathyadeepam’ weekly, the official mouthpiece of the archdiocese, did not spare a punch to the Congress-led UDF for the overwhelming influence of Indian Union Muslim League in the front’s political affairs
Political commentators believe the Church is adopting a pressure tactic to secure its interests even as it keeps all three options open as the state heads for the assembly elections in four months’ time
The editorial cautioned that ways in which various political fronts will address the political insecurity of
Christian minorities will prove decisive in the upcoming assembly polls