Wise voices urging to step back from recent instances of hatred must be allowed to prevail
The recent remarks made by Bishop Mar Joseph Kallarangat of the Catholic Diocese of Pala in Kerala on “Narcotic Jihad” have sparked a major controversy. In a speech at a church at Kuravilangad in the state’s Kottayam district, he Said Christians should be vigilant against “alcoholic jihad”An organized attempt to destroy the lives of non-Muslims by allegedly drugging them.
Pala is one of the diocese of the Syro-Malabar Church in Kerala. Soon after the bishop’s speech, some nuns from Kuravilangad accused another Christian priest of abusing Muslims, asking the nuns not to buy vegetables from Muslims or travel in autorickshaws operated by them. The nuns reacted by coming out en masse. In their comments to the media, the four nuns expressed their disapproval of the communal remarks made by the priest and the bishop. “Christ taught us not to sow sectarianism,” said one nun.
uproar in polarizing rhetoric
The claim about “narcotics jihad” comes on top of a long-standing allegation by church officials that there is “love jihad” in Kerala, allegedly forcing non-Muslim women to marry Muslim men and convert to Islam. It is an organized effort for Investigations by agencies including the National Investigation Agency have found no evidence to support this claim.
These incidents are part of a definite increase in anti-Muslim rhetoric by certain sections among Christians in Kerala in recent months. Earlier this year, when Israel bombed Gaza after forcibly evicting Palestinian families from their homes in occupied East Jerusalem, some Christian social media handles (in Malayalam) came up with propaganda against Palestinians and Muslims. Totally false videos were circulated about the history of Palestine and Israel. He completely ignored the fact that Palestinian Christians, as victims of Israeli barbarism like other Palestinians, form much of the resistance against Israeli occupation.
Recently, the filmmakers are facing intense hate speech from fringe groups, with demands that the upcoming film be renamed ‘Isho’ (Jesus). Meanwhile, booklets containing anti-Muslim rhetoric are being distributed by Syro-Malabar Church officials in several parts of Kerala; The most notable of these is a pamphlet from the Thamarassery diocese. There are media reports that the diocese has expressed regret after the protest.
All this goes against the long-standing tradition of Kerala as a place where people of different religions live peacefully and in cooperation with each other. Toiling mass movements, governments and society in general have focused on material concerns, which have made possible human development and significant improvements in living standards, while the state’s religious communities coexist in harmony. Christians – among whom the level of education and prosperity are among the highest among the religious communities of Kerala – have been an integral part of this process. But if these recent developments are left unchecked, there is a danger of opening the way for further progress.
Viral messages promoted by some prominent religious figures in the Christian community and amplified by social media are a cause for concern. What is it that has changed in recent times that provided the background for these eruptions?
strong driving force
An important, but less appreciated, concern relates to economic conditions that provide fertile breeding ground for communal hatred. Trade liberalization has badly affected plantation agriculture (most importantly, rubber). India joined the World Trade Organization in 1995 and a free trade agreement (which came into force from 2010) with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) led to a fall in the real prices of rubber (prices adjusted for inflation). . Christians constitute a large section of farmers who cultivate plantation crops, and the fall in these prices has meant that many of them have found their economic condition stagnant or deteriorating. Two consecutive years of intense floods in Kerala (in 2018 and 2019) and the subsequent novel coronavirus pandemic crisis – damaging livelihoods across the world – have not made things any easier. In such circumstances, the haters, who blame other communities for the hardships, are going to take a lot. For those who gain something by polarizing people on communal lines, it is easier for them to aim their guns at other communities than at harmful economic policies.
Read also | Senior priest differs with bishop over jihad remarks
The pandemic has had a somewhat strange effect on church officials. Prolonged lockdowns and restrictions on the number of people attending church gatherings have meant a sharp drop in church attendance. In addition to adversely affecting church revenues, these events have created a sense of insecurity among certain sections of the clergy, who feel that the faithful are turning away from their influence. In this context, fiery rhetoric that polarizes communities while trying to consolidate their own adherents would be a ploy to bring the flock back into its orbit.
At the same time, more people have started attending church services using television and the Internet. This has exposed the general public to the algorithms of social media more than ever, where provocative content gains more traction. If the content of a video is more inflammatory and provokes more comments, its views are likely to increase. This algorithm of hate in turn means that many video producers, including some pastors, believe that such videos are the need of the hour.
shadow of politics
The weakening of the Indian National Congress – which has traditionally been supported by Catholic Church officials in Kerala – appears to have exacerbated the insecurity of the Church leadership, and to align a section of church officials more in line with their positions. as can be seen. forces of Hinduism.
Certainly, the actions and positions of some communal organizations have added to the tension. Notable among these were the support in 2010 of a college lecturer, TJ Joseph, by the Islamist radical Popular Front of India, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoan’s support of converting the historic Hagia Sophia into one in Turkey by some Muslim sectarian organizations. Masjid But there is a self-propelled movement in countering communalism with communalism – the sharper the communal rhetoric of one community, the more it strengthens communal forces in other communities.
appeal for peace
For the sake of Christians themselves and society in general, Catholic clergy must return to a state of reason and moderation. Many Catholic and non-Catholic Christians – among others – have urged a retreat from preaching hatred.
Read also | Religious zeal to migrate to minority politics: CPI(M)
A former spokesperson of the Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council has criticized the statement of Pala Bishop. A bishop of the Orthodox Church has cautioned against implicating church leaders in a Sangh Parivar conspiracy to divide minority communities, while a Jacobite bishop has said the altar should not be used to propagate the politics of hate. should go. In a recent joint press conference, a bishop of the Church of South India and the president of the Kerala Muslim Youth Federation called for peace.
It is heartening that sensible voices are fighting back. This is a battle they must win to save the soul of Kerala as a society where religious communities live in harmony and prosper together.
Subin Dennis is an economist at Tricontinental Research. Views expressed are personal
.