AMID THE ruling CPI(M)-led LDF marketing campaign that Congress’s ally Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) is a bridge between the opposition UDF and spiritual fundamentalists, a distinguished Christian Church on Friday got here out in help of the IUML in a politically vital transfer.
A bishops’ delegation of Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church visited prime leaders of the IUML, saying their go to was a message towards the try and create a rift between Muslims and Christians forward of the meeting elections this 12 months.
After a gathering with IUML state president Hyderali Shihab Thangal and different senior social gathering leaders in Malappuram, Orthodox Bishops Geevarghese Mar Yulios and Yakoob Mar Irenaios informed media, “Our go to is a message towards the political try and create a rift between Christian and Muslim communities. We visited the IUML leaders as per the route of (Orthodox Church head) Catholicos Baselios Marthoma Paulose II.’’
The go to of Orthodox bishops and their help to the IUML achieve significance at a time the IUML is dealing with unprecedented alienation from a piece of Christians, significantly Catholics, over a number of points equivalent to alleged discrimination in distribution of minority welfare schemes and inter-faith marriages. On a number of events in current occasions, Catholic Church has come out towards the IUML, dubbing it because the social gathering that calls photographs within the Congress-led UDF, and a bridge with ultra-Muslim parts and Congress.
Sensing {that a} part of Christians have drifted away from its conventional political alternative of UDF over its electoral understanding with Jamaat-e-Islami within the native physique elections, the CPI(M) has stepped up its assault on the IUML.
Two days in the past, CPI(M) state secretary A Vijayaraghavan got here down closely on the UDF, saying that the IUML was fixing the agenda of the Congress. He additionally discovered fault with senior Congress leaders Oommen Chandy and Ramesh Chennithala visiting the IUML management.
Although Congress got here out towards the CPI(M) chief “for his bid to divide votes on religious lines”, Vijayaraghavan on Friday reiterated: “Congress is getting closer with religion-based political alliances.”
Another vital issue behind the Orthodox bishops’ go to to the IUML management is that rival Jacobite Church has just lately leaned in the direction of the LDF. Both Orthodox and Jacobite factions of Malankara Church have been historically Congress vote banks. But Jacobite Church misplaced a number of church buildings to Orthodox within the current months after the federal government carried out a Supreme Court verdict of 2017.
However, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan introduced out an Ordinance final 12 months, which facilitated the burial of Jacobite members within the graveyards of their parishes even when the church buildings have gone into the custody of Orthodox faction. This has introduced a significant aid for Jacobite Church.
The Orthodox church is searching for help from UDF of their battle to retain the possession of the church buildings, consigned to them as per the highest court docket order.
Besides, Orthodox Bishops have come out to patch up the distinction between Christians and Muslims after Chandy was made the chairman of the Congress election administration and technique committee. Chandy belongs to Orthodox Church.
