New Delhi: Mar Joseph Kallarangatt, bishop of the Pala diocese of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church who recently came under fire for his remarks on “narcotics jihad” in Kerala, has once again courted controversy by issued a warning on how “pseudo-secularism will destroy India” in an article he wrote on Saturday, October 2.
Also read: ‘Narcotic Jihad’ and the Delusions of the Catholic Church
The article, which was published in Deepika, the church’s official mouthpiece on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti, hits out at those who refuse to speak out against injustices in their own communities.
In what may be construed as a justification for his controversial remarks on “narcotics jihad” and “love jihad” made in September, Kallarangatt, in Saturday’s article noted that those who do not speak out against mistakes are silently encouraging them to flourish. He also said that warnings against society’s evils should not be ignored, rather, they should be discussed and studied to prevent further occurrences.
In the article, the bishop also poses the question of whether Kerala was heading down a path of communal polarisation by “opting for the route of secularism”. He, however, clarified that secularism is at the core of the Indian constitution and that “pseudo-secularism will destroy the country.” He also claimed that questions regarding who the real beneficiaries of secularism are are arising from many quarters.
“The essence of Indian secularism,” the bishop wrote, “is that all religions should be respected.” He further implored the “religious community” and the “secular community” to “learn to live together.
Citing the example of the growth of conservative racist movements in “the West”, Killarangatt implored his readers to understand how secularism breeds extremism. “The situation of India will not be different if we fail to accept Indian secularism in its literal sense,” the bishop wrote.
After paying tributes to Gandhi, Killarangatt noted how the Mahatma’s teachings were essential for the existence of the country and its meaningful secularism.
Killarangatt had come under considerable scrutiny following his “love and narcotics jihad” remarks, made on September 8 while he addressed a religious congregation. He spoke of how Muslims in the state were trying to “spoil the lives of non-Muslims” by getting them addicted to drugs.
Also read: How the Imaginary Threat of ‘Narcotics Jihad’ Reflects a Real Threat of Widening Divisions
He even invoked claims of “love jihad” to explain how “jihadis” have been trying to “annihilate non-Muslims”.
Several Muslim organisations had launched protests against the bishop’s remarks, including the Samastha Kerala Sunni Students Federation, which demanded evidence from the bishop to substantiate his claims.
The bishop’s remarks even drew heavy criticism from Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who cited statistics to debunk the claims. Yet, BJP forces in the state supported the bishop’s remarks and even asked the Union government to frame a law on the matter.
With PTI inputs.