CPI mouthpiece criticises Kerala churches for BJP support, says realisation came too late

Kozhikode: The Communist Party of India's (CPI) mouthpiece has strongly criticised sections of the Church in Kerala for supporting the BJP despite repeated warnings from Left parties. The party's Kerala mouthpiece Janayugam, however, said the Church's eventual realisation of the BJP's stance, though delayed, was welcome.

An editorial published in the daily on Monday stated that the Communist Party and Left movements had long cautioned against the BJP's attempts to woo the Christian community in the state for electoral gains. It added that the saying, ‘those who do not learn by seeing will learn by experience’, had once again proven true.

The editorial pointed out that despite clear evidence of minority persecution by Sangh Parivar organisations in North Indian states, and the BJP's use of such developments, both directly and indirectly, for political advantage, several Christian community leaders and Church authorities continued to take positions favourable to the party. The Left, it noted, had consistently warned that the narrative portraying the BJP, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in particular, as a ‘savior’ would not last long. However, the Church leadership took considerable time to recognise this reality.

While welcoming this delayed realisation, the editorial sharply criticised BJP leaders P C George and his son Shone George, alleging that the two, who had actively engaged with Church institutions until the day of voting, understood the ground reality only after the elections. Having reportedly assured that Christians would vote en masse for the BJP, and allegedly receiving significant financial backing based on that claim, they now face the issue of accountability. According to the editorial, this pressure led them to make offensive remarks against the Church leadership and institutions.

The CPI mouth piece also alleged that the BJP had long been attempting to build support among Christian communities, particularly in Central Travancore. Despite employing multiple political strategies, the party had managed to secure only one MLA in Kerala's history and failed to retain even that in the subsequent election. The editorial argued that, after political strategies fell short, the BJP had turned to religious outreach as an alternative means to gain influence.

It also claimed that P C George and Shone George, who had become politically marginal in the state, joined the BJP during this phase and took on the role of mobilising Christian support for the party and they projected strong backing from bishops and community members. However, following the elections, their public statements suggested that the BJP had only limited prospects in Kerala. The editorial further alleged that the party spent large sums of money during the campaign.

It cited reports from regions such as Palakkad and Thrissur, claiming that money and incentives were distributed to voters. Nevertheless, when the expected results did not materialise, P C George and Shone George allegedly turned against Church leaders, accusing them of betrayal.

The editorial asserted that political theatrics, defections, and communal polarisation strategies that proved effective in North India had failed to gain traction in Kerala, largely due to the vigilance of Left forces. It noted that even bishops who had earlier taken positions favourable to the BJP were taken aback by the Centre's measures such as amendments to the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA). Despite numerous incidents of attacks on churches, harassment of missionaries, and hate campaigns in North India, the Church leadership had not taken a strong stand at the time, it alleged, adding that the Left on the other hand, had consistently raised its voice.