Indian churches troubled by religion attacks in 'God's own country'

Church leaders have expressed concern over mob attacks on religious targets in the southern Indian state of Kerala whose own tourism department promotes it as "God's own country".

Spiritual personalities of all faiths including Christian, Hindu and Muslim have been under intense police and public scrutiny since May following the arrest of a high-profile Hindu astrologist in early May on allegations of sexually abusing young girls in orphanages he ran.

The astrologist and Hindu sage Santosh Madhavan is also alleged to have been involved in some dubious land deals with the support of top police and politicians who flocked to him for spiritual guidance.

Madhavan's arrest was followed by a widespread crackdown on sages of all creeds by the police in Kerala, whose government is headed by Communists, while the youth wing of the Communist Party and Hindu extremists have attacked alleged faith-healing centres.

"The law should certainly catch up with those abusing religion," Philip N Thomas, the secretary of the Kerala Council of Churches, told Ecumenical News International on 10 June. "But, unfortunately, it has now become a handy tool to discredit religion and faith."

As part of an investigation into faith-healing centres, police have several times raided the offices of the influential Gospel for Asia group and the Believers Church in central Kerala.

Hindu groups mounted a huge protest march to the headquarters of the Believers Church in early June, and some protesters attacked Christians who had photographed the protest.

After police raided and made public the recovery of foreign currency from an evangelical group called "Heavenly Dinner", Communist activists attacked the centre and destroyed its roadside posters.

"What is happening now is much more than investigation against fake religious leaders," said the Rev Paul Thelakkat, spokesperson for the Syro Malabar Church, the largest church group in Kerala.

The Christian community accounts for nearly 20 percent of Kerala's 34 million people. Thelakkat said there was no justification for Hindu groups and Communists to march and attack Christian centres, saying there seemed to be a "wider agenda" to denigrate religion and faiths, especially non-Hindu ones.



By Ecumenical News International. Printed with permission.