Syro-Malabar Church slams article published by RSS publication in Kerala

Kochi | The Syro-Malabar Church in Kerala on Monday condemned an article in Kesari, a Malayalam publication linked to the RSS, that accused the Christian community of "religious conversion".

The article was written by ES Biju, state vice-president of the Hindu Aikyavedi.

The Syro-Malabar Media Commission, in its Facebook page, issued a statement stating that the article was "misleading, factually baseless" and intended to disrupt the atmosphere of communal harmony in Kerala.

Quoting historical instances, the Commission said such narratives had in the past fuelled violence against Christians, including the killing of missionary Graham Staines and his children, communal riots in Kandhamal, and the murders of Father Arul Das and Sister Rani Maria.

“Is Biju and Hindu Aikyavedi competing with Goebbels in manufacturing lies?” the statement asked.

The Commission recalled that the people of India decided not to become a theocratic state in 1947 and warned that communal organisations were now trying to undermine that foundation.

It asked if Hindu spiritual leaders can freely propagate their teachings abroad and receive foreign funds, then why deny Christians and other religions in India the right to live their faith, preach, or receive assistance? Highlighting the historic contributions of Christian missionaries, the Commission noted their role in education, social service, healthcare, and the promotion of Indian languages.

It cited William Carey's and Samuel Henry Kellogg's pioneering work in grammar and lexicons, including the latter's A Grammar of the Hindi Language (1876), which helped shape modern Hindi.

“By spreading lies and hate propaganda, Kesari and the RSS are pushing Kerala towards dangerous communal divisions. The history of humanity shows that those who rule through hatred and exploitation cannot escape accountability. The attempt to brand Christians as anti-national is nothing but ignorance and hypocrisy,” the Commission added.

Meanwhile, Malayalam Daily Deepika, the mouthpiece of the Catholic Church in Kerala, also published an editorial on Monday condemning the article that appeared in Kesari.

The editorial claims that at a time when the BJP is trying to reach out to the Christian community in Kerala, it also speaks about dreams of establishing a theocratic state.

The article accused Biju of "spreading baseless allegations" against the Christian community.

On the other hand, Biju justified the article, stating that the Anti-Conversion law has been implemented in 11 states.

He said that the church demanded the withdrawal of these laws in all these states after the Chhattisgarh incident (arrest of nuns in July this year).

“It is unacceptable. The laws and courts of the country should be followed without regard to one's religion. In Chhattisgarh, they were arrested based on the first FIR. The case was registered based on the child's statement. If they are innocent, let them be acquitted,” he said.

In the article titled "Aagola Mathaparivarthanathinte Nalvazhikal" (The timeline of global religious conversion) published by Kesari, Biju targeted the Christian community over alleged religious conversions that have happened in the country over these years.

If conversion is the right of religious forces, resistance against it is the right and duty of Hindus, it pointed out.

The article said that the current "strange situation" in the country must be changed, which requires the amendment of the Constitution.