In a statement released on Sunday, the CPM State Secretariat attempted to remind Christians of the violent attacks unleashed on their community by right-wing forces in India. This comes just hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Sacred Heart Cathedral Church in New Delhi, and a day after top BJP leaders in Kerala went around visiting Christian houses. The statement pointed out the infamous case of Christian missionary Graham Staines and his two sons being burnt to death by Hindutva forces, and the unspeakable atrocities committed against Christians during last Christmas.
The CPM also criticized the BJP’s attempts to woo the Christian community, calling it ‘ridiculous.’ The statement pointed out that the Sangh Parivar, of which the BJP is a part, had declared minorities, including Christians, and Communists as internal threats in its ideological text. The CPM stated that this was precisely why right-wing forces had been attacking minorities and Communists in the country.
The BJP’s Christian outreach intensified after Modi declared that the BJP would capture Kerala, following its success in three northeastern states. Thalassery Archbishop Joseph Pamplany had then remarked that the BJP would get an MP from Kerala if rubber prices were increased, which was seen as an influential Church leader’s acceptance of the BJP. The BJP has since then intensified its efforts to woo the Christian community.
In an interview with the New Indian Express, the head of the Syro Malabar Church, Cardinal George Alencherry, stated that Christians were secure in India and called Modi a ‘very good leader.’ However, the CPM Secretariat stated that Christian groups themselves were on the warpath against the BJP government after realizing the danger of the BJP’s divisive politics. The statement also indirectly criticized Church leaders in Kerala who seem to have fallen for the BJP’s overtures.
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