Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold talks with the Jacobite and Orthodox factions of the Malankara Syrian Church separately in New Delhi on December 28 and 29 in bid to end their long-standing dispute.
Mr. Modi is intervening in the issue after the two factions approached Mizoram Governor and former BJP State president S. Sreedharan Pillai, seeking a solution from the Prime Minister. If the separate talks yield positive results, the Prime Minister will decide on a joint meeting with the leaders, it is learnt.
Last week Mr. Pillai met the Prime Minister and requested him to intervene to settle the fight between Malankara Orthodox Church and Jacobite Syrian Christian Church, despite the dispute reaching the Supreme Court and the apex court giving a verdict in favour of the Orthodox Church. Mr. Modi had told him that he would intervene in the matter after Christmas.
According to a source, Cardinal George Alencherry, head of the Syro-Malabar Church, had also approached the Mizoram Governor for a solution to end the stand-off between the two Churches.
