Question: What is your comment on Bishop Joseph Kallarangatt’s remarks on “narcotic jihad” in Kerala?
Answer: I, like most sane people in the country, harbour no hate against followers of other faiths, or even atheists. I think of myself as secular, in the manner that Jawaharlal Nehru was. I am certainly not Islamophobic. I, therefore, oppose the thought process of the bishop, and the words he is purported to have used in his address to his congregation. I am happy that most Christians outside Kerala and most denominations within the state have also criticised the statement as disrupting the coexistence that is a hallmark of the state.
Question: Do you believe it is a dangerous precedent for a Christian-Muslim relationship?
Answer: Relations of one religion with any other religion within its geography are always in a delicate balance in a secular country such as India where the Constitution of the Republic does not favour one faith over another and gives the citizen the right to process any belief system of his or her choice. This balance must not be disturbed by any action directly or indirectly. Demonising any religion or imputing motives without concrete evidence can rapidly go out of hand. This must never be allowed to happen by the leadership of the three main religions of Kerala. This was not a happy precedent, even though it is a fact that drug addiction among youth is spreading rapidly.
Question: Are Christians in Kerala redefining their political space at the cost of their relationship with Muslims?
Answer: In Kerala as in any other state which has adherents of two or three religions or even ethnic or caste groups in sizable numbers, there is always a sensitive political and economic competitiveness, especially when it comes to a share of state resources such as scholarships, or employment. Every religious and caste or ethnic group has the right to seek, and demand, its equitable share. Political space is nothing more than some ability to ensure this.
The church leadership feels that some government policies may harm their interests. It is for the state authorities to allay such fears.
Question: Will such controversy impact the political arithmetic of Kerala and in other parts of the country?
Answer: The equilibrium of Kerala does not exist in any other state in the country. Here though the Hindus are in a majority, Muslims and Christians collectively present a strong political and electoral balancing force. This does exist even in Punjab, where though the Sikhs seem in the majority, the caste dimension makes for a more complex narrative. Christians are electorally really not a major force anywhere other than in three states of the North East – Nagaland, Mizoram and Meghalaya. In Goa, they are just a little over 20%. In these states, the Muslims have a very, very small presence, so there are almost no friction points. The situation in Kerala does not matter for the Christian community in other states. But it does help the narrative of the Sangh Parivar. That is the only dangerous point.
Question: Are Christians in Kerala falling into the trap of a vicious cycle of hate against Muslims?
Answer: As I said, the talk of “love jihad” and “drug jihad” is a trap laid by the Sangh Parivar. Everyone in religious groups and civil society must open their eyes to this.
Question: How Christian leaders and Churches in India have reacted to this controversy?
Answer: Most church leaders and civil society have criticised the remarks of the bishop.
Question: Will this controversy have any kind of national and international ramifications?
Answer: I am happy the Church is taking seriously the task of restoring communal harmony and has started a dialogue between communities to remove distrust and to restore the peaceful coexistence that had marked life in Kerala. It has the oldest Christian community in this part of the world. It also has the oldest mosque in the sub-continent. This is a heritage we must build upon.
