BJP angsty as Kerala churches condemn Manipur violence, CAA on Good Friday

“In Manipur and other North Indian states, the Christian community is facing atrocities as dark forces unleash attacks. It's crucial to ensure the minority rights offered by the Constitution. The community should realise the implications of the CAA. Standing against divisive forces requires us to exercise our right to express our opinions. We must support our brothers on the CAA issue and stand together against religious domination, a sign of narrow-mindedness,” said Monsignor Thomas J Netto.

Effect of fear

While Christians observed Good Friday in Kerala, it wasn't just Thomas J Netto who raised issues related to Manipur and violence, auxiliary bishop Mar Thomas Tharayil of the Archeparchy of Changanacherry, under the Syro Malabar Catholic Church also addressed these concerns during his prayers. He highlighted the debilitating effect of fear on individuals, making them more susceptible to subjugation. He went on to emphasise that if even one person in a country lives in fear, it signifies a failure of the nation.

In many churches across the state, belonging to various Christian denominations, the atrocities against the community were highlighted prominently in the Good Friday sermons.

BJP and Christians

This Good Friday holds particular significance in light of the BJP's ongoing efforts to court support from certain Christian denominations. These efforts began last year with home visits during the Easter week and continued with Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosting Christian bishops in Delhi. Many church leaders seemed to show an inclination towards the saffron party, and even a couple of priests in Kerala joined the party.

However, after the Manipur violence and subsequent events, this momentum has been fading. Last week, the BJP candidate in Thrissur, Suresh Gopi, was confronted by a priest in the constituency. This happened in a parish hall when Gopi sought votes and blessings of the churchgoers.

In the November edition of its mouthpiece Catholica Sabha, the Catholic Archdiocese of Thrissur stated that there was an attempt to cover up the Manipur riots as elections approached. It explicitly mentioned that the party aiming to retain power at the Centre was behind this move.

"The government's incompetence in handling the situation in Manipur served as a green light for rioters. It's something no democratically-minded individual can overlook. People are aware of attempts to garner votes by downplaying the violence in Manipur. Suresh Gopi's statement was both deplorable and immature. Voters in Kerala have the wisdom to identify religious extremists regardless of the facade they adopt. Supporting religious extremism will only lead to disaster," said the editorial.

Earlier, certain bishops and heads of churches began taking a softer stance towards the BJP. Even Archbbishop of Thalassery Joseph Pamplany stated that they would have no objections to voting for the BJP if they fulfilled their promise of increasing rubber prices in the state. But after the Manipur situation, the same Archbishop had to reverse his stance and condemn the BJP government at the centre, owing to the pressure from the faithful.

BJP courts Christians

The BJP, in desperate need of additional votes from non-Hindu bases, has been making significant efforts to court the Christian community for several years. In constituencies like Thiruvananthapuram and Thrissur, where they hold high hopes of winning seats, the Christian community wields significant influence with their decisive number of votes.

Suresh Gopi, the actor turned candidate in Thrissur, made headlines when he donated a golden crown to the Our Lady of Lourdes Metropolitan Cathedral, Thrissur. However, controversy arose when it was revealed that the crown was not entirely made of gold. Despite this, he has been actively involved in various church functions, including the recent observance of Hosanna Sunday last week.

The Syro-Malabar congregation holds a significant vote base in the Thrissur constituency and has traditionally leaned towards the Congress and the UDF. However, in the last Lok Sabha and assembly elections, there was a noticeable shift in their voting pattern, with a clear preference for the BJP, particularly with Suresh Gopi being the candidate for both elections.

Sway of Christian votes

In Thiruvananthapuram and Pathanamthitta, the two constituencies where the BJP hopes to make a difference, the Christian community's votes hold significant sway. In Thiruvananthapuram, Latin Catholic votes dominate in assembly segments like Kovalam, Neyyattinkara, and Parassala. According to political observers, the strong stance of the Latin archbishops against the Manipur violence, indirectly targeting the BJP, will surely impact the prospects of Rajeev Chandrasekhar against Shashi Tharoor and Pannian Raveendran of the CPI.

In Pathanamthitta, where Anil Antony, the son of Congress stalwart and former defence minister A K Antony, is contesting as a BJP candidate, the party has been making concerted efforts to gain support from the Orthodox Church. They succeeded in roping in PC George, an influential leader and former MLA of the Kerala Congress, to merge his recently formed party Janapaksham into the BJP. However, George seems indifferent now as the party overlooked him for the ticket and opted for Anil Antony, who is relatively inexperienced in politics.

With several Christian denominations taking a firm stance against the Manipur violence and its aftermath, the BJP's strategy of social engineering appears to have encountered a significant roadblock in Kerala.