Attacks on Christmas festivities in Kerala draw political and church condemnation

Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 24: The attack on a Christmas carol group in Palakkad has triggered strong political reactions and concern from Church leadership, with Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan alleging a “nationwide” pattern of attacks on Christians and Cardinal Baselios Cleemis describing the developments as deeply disheartening.
In a Facebook Live address on Wednesday, Satheesan said incidents of the “Sangh Parivar disrupting Christmas celebrations and gatherings had become increasingly common across several states”.
“Across the country, Christians are being targeted. Even in Kerala, a carol group was stopped in Palakkad,” he said.
Drawing a sharp analogy, the opposition Leader remarked that “some who come to our homes with Christmas cake are wolves in sheep’s clothing,” alleging that the same forces were behind attacks on Christians nationwide.
Questioning the basis of claims that Bible distribution was illegal, Satheesan said such assertions were unfounded and pledged to resist what he described as “he Sangh Parivar’s anti-democratic actions across the country”.
Adding to the concern, Cardinal Baselios Cleemis, Major Archbishop-Catholicos of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, said it was worrying to see a contradiction between public gestures and ground realities.
“On one side, we see Prime Minister Narendra Modi receiving Church leaders and exchanging Christmas greetings. On the other hand, attacks on Christians engaged in Christmas festivities are being reported from a few places. This is disheartening,” the Cardinal said, stressing the need for harmony to be reflected in practice.
Meanwhile, the youth wing of the CPI(M), the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) and the Congress strongly condemned the Palakkad incident.
The Congress alleged that the attack was an RSS-BJP move aimed at disrupting communal harmony and claimed it was an act of retaliation after the BJP failed to secure the support it expected from the Christian community in elections. It demanded that the BJP leadership expel those responsible for the violence. (IANS)