Notwithstanding the immense support the Catholic Church has received from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on the Waqf land dispute in Munambam, the back-to-back articles published in Organiser, the RSS mouthpiece, targeting the Church appear to have reignited its suspicions about the Sangh Parivar’s intentions.
While the Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council (KCBC), the apex body of the Catholic Church in Kerala, has stated there was no need for a formal discussion on the matter, especially since one of the articles has already been withdrawn, the timing of its publication, coinciding with the passage of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, has sparked introspection within Church circles.
“The KCBC does not intend to raise this for official discussion. But the timing of its publication was certainly a matter of concern,” said Father Thomas Tharayil, official spokesperson of the KCBC.
Deepika editorial
At the same time, the institution has relayed its distress over the development through Deepika, its mouth piece, through an editorial. It pointed out that even though the article over land holdings of the Church was withdrawn, Organiser had not yet acknowledged that the information it published was inaccurate.
“It’s not just about the articles that the RSS has withdrawn or disowned. The very ideas it upholds and the actions it continues to carry out are harming the lives and the sense of equal citizenship of minorities in this country, including Christians. This is also reflected in the Organiser article that claims that the Catholic Church is the largest non-governmental landowner in India,” the editorial stated.
Centre’s silence concerning
The piece also referenced ongoing attacks on Christians in northern India and highlighted a growing feeling among the community that they have no meaningful role in the INDIA bloc’s approach to minority issues. It further criticised the silence of the Union government, saying this emboldens those targeting Christians and their institutions.
The Church’s growing unease was also echoed in Indian Currents, a publication under the patronage of the Capuchins of Krist Jyothi province of northern India, a Catholic religious congregation. “Many groups, even some that shouldn’t, are celebrating this as a victory. But is it truly a win, or merely the experimental beginning of a nightmare?” asks an editorial published by the weekly in the backdrop of the Waqf Bill.
This evolving situation marks a significant new chapter in the relationship between the Catholic Church and the Sangh Parivar, which evolved during the Munambam protests and hit a crescendo when the KCBC openly called on all Kerala MPs to support the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025.
The Church’s incremental strategy of highlighting perceived threats, including the Waqf issue, led to an unprecedented bonhomie between Christian groups and the BJP, lending political legitimacy to their concerns. This rendered the State’s two major political coalitions – the United Democratic Front (UDF) and the Left Democratic Front (LDF), as well as the Kerala Congress factions, that traditionally depended on Catholic votes, temporarily ineffective.
The articles published by the Organiser as well as attacks on Catholic priests in northern India, however, appears to have given a fresh momentum to both front’s attempts in re-engage the Church.
Published – April 07, 2025 06:36 pm IST
