The acrimonious politico-religious debate that erupted in the wake of the Pala bishop’s controversial ‘narcotic jihad’ sermon showed scarce sign of abating on Monday.
With more leaders weighing in on the subject, the sparring over the pastoral discourse threatened to deepen the religious divide and test the guard rails of communal harmony.
SNDP general secretary Vellappally Natesan blamed a priest for alleging an Ezhava community to plot to entice Christian girls into the Hindu fold via inter-faith marriage. He demanded the church defrock the priest, the latter’s apology notwithstanding.
Mr. Natesan decried “Christian proselytising” and said “narcotic jihad” was a misnomer. “It is wrong to blame a particular community for a universal social menace,” he said.
General secretary of the All India Sunni Jamiyyathul Ulama Kanthapuram A.P. Aboobacker Musliyar, pointedly insisted the Pala bishop withdraw the remark.
Several Muslim social organisations slammed Cooperation Minister V. Vasavan for making a “placatory” visit to the Pala bishop house. They felt the government had made no similar move to assuage the Muslim community.
Govt. flayed
Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan attacked the government for failing to deal with the rising tide of religious sectarianism.
By refusing to intervene proactively to ease social tensions, the government had played second fiddle to the divisive agenda of the Sangh Parivar, he said.
Mr. Satheesan demanded an all-party meeting and urged cultural figures to join the Congress’s “peace initiative.”
BJP State president K. Surendran accused the Congress and the CPI(M) of brushing the issue under the carpet to protect their respective minority vote banks. Mr. Surendran also demanded an all-party meeting.
CPI(M) charge
CPI(M) acting State secretary A. Vijayaraghavan said the Congress and the BJP were trying to fish in troubled waters by raking up an immensely avoidable debate deemed settled.
The CPI(M) reportedly felt the Congress had inflated the issue to claw back into political relevance by emerging as a potent peacemaker.
Meanwhile, back-channel efforts to dial down tensions gathered momentum.
Peace meet
Baselios Cleemis, Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, chaired a meeting of various religious leaders to send a message of peace to Kerala society.
In Kozhikode, the Thamarassery bishopric recalled a handbook for the laity after Muslim leaders pointed out that it contained observations hurtful to the community.
Meanwhile, the police have booked an online news portal for creating communal discord following the government’s directive to crackdown on inflammatory and divisive rhetoric.
