Thiruvananthapuram: Archbishop M Soosa Pakiam, head of the Latin Archdiocese of Thiruvananthapuram, has urged Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan to intervene in the row over Kurisumala, where hundreds of believers were injured in police action Friday after they tried to enter the contentious pilgrimage center near Bonacaud.
"All issues can be resolved through talks. There is widespread discontent and anger over the police action and lathicharge, but I still believe that the issue can be resolved," the archbishop added.
Christians used to go on a pilgrimage to Kurisumala on the first Friday of January for the past 60 years. A cross erected there was damaged in November 2017, triggering tension in the area. The forest department then barred entry to the area.
Many talks were held between the Church and the officials and Church claimed that the government had agreed to allow pilgrims visit to Kurisumala. Several people, including priests, nuns and cops, were injured in the stone-pelting and police action Friday after they tried to break the police barricade and enter the pilgrimage center.
While asserting that the government officials concerned were informed about the pilgrims' plan to visit the Kurisumala, the archbishop said that it was highly deplorable that even women were at the receiving end of police action.
Kummanam condemns police action
Kerala BJP chief Kummanam Rajasekharan too condemned the police action on pilgrims. He also said the issue had to be resolved on consensus and that the pilgrims should show restraint until the court passed an order on the issue.
However, he urged the Church to withdraw from the move to install a church in the ecologically sensitive area inside the Bonacuad forest.
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