Kerala: Nuns walkout objecting hate speech against Muslims by priest
A group of four nuns from Kuravilangad in Kottayam reportedly walked out of the prayer hall on Sunday. They accused a Christian priest of spreading hate against Muslims during a prayer service at St. Francis Mission Home.
While addressing the media on 13th September, the group accused Rajeev, a priest of Third Order Regular of Saint Francis of Penance, of spreading hate towards Muslims.
This incident has come into the light when Pala Bishop Joseph Kallarangatt’s “narcotic jihad” comment has already created enough havoc in the state.
The group of nuns includes Anupama Kelamangalathuveliyil, Alphy Pallasseril, Ancitta Urumbil, and Josephine Viloonickal. The group had also been vocal about rape charges against Bishop Franco Mulakkal and had held protests against the accused.
The nuns alleged that the priest had spewed venom against the Muslims earlier too, the group also said that people should not support statements like “love jihad” and “narcotic jihad” made by priests like Mar Joseph Kallarangatt.
“The priest during mass today (September 12) made a speech supporting the Pala Bishop, a speech that sowed the seeds for communalism. The priest in the speech said that things like vegetables should not be bought from Muslims and asked the congregation not to travel in the autorickshaws they drive. This is not the first time he has made such remarks. Earlier too, he had made similar remarks about Muslims. Today, we couldn't help but react and two of us walked out of the mass.” Sister Anupama was quoted saying by The News Minute.
She also said “What Christ has taught us is to love everyone, to love one's neighbors and not seed communalism. We reacted as we couldn't see it when the priest was saying things contradictory to what Christ teaches us.”
The group played a prominent role in the arrest of Bishop Franco in the year 2018. Bishop Franco was accused of rape and the group of nuns had organized an open protest in Kochi demanding justice for the victim.
On 9th September, Bishop Kallarangatt while addressing a church gathering said that non-muslims in the state are subjected to narcotic jihad. He also alleged that “narcotic jihad” involved spoiling the lives of non-muslims by turning them into drug addicts.
The baseless statements from the Bishop have led to heated discussions and arguments in the state. Kerala Chief Minister Pinnarayi Vijayan said that people holding responsible positions must not give religious colors to narcotics.
Leader of Opposition in Kerala VD Satheesan also condemned the statement made by Bishop Kallarangatt. He said that crimes have no caste, religion, or gender. It is wrong to blame one particular community for this.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
India, China competition should never turn into conflict: PM Modi
New Delhi, Mar 16 (PTI): Despite past tensions with China, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has favoured dialogue over discord and said differences between India and China were natural but stronger cooperation was in the interests of the two neighbours and for global stability.
In a podcast with Lex Fridman, Modi said India and China were working to restore the conditions along the borders as they were before the clashes along the Line of Actual Control in 2020, the first since 1975 that resulted in deaths of security personnel on both sides.
"However, after my recent meeting with President Xi, we have seen a return to normalcy at the border. We are now working to restore conditions to how they were before 2020," Modi said referring to his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in October last year.
"Slowly but surely, trust, enthusiasm, and energy should return. But of course, it will take some time, as there has been a five-year gap," the prime minister said.
Modi said cooperation between India and China isn't just beneficial for the two nations, but also essential for global stability and prosperity.
"Since the 21st century is Asia's century, we want India and China to compete in a healthy and natural way. Competition is not a bad thing, but it should never turn into conflict," he said.
Modi said the relationship between India and China isn't something new as both nations have ancient cultures and civilizations.
"Even in the modern world, they play a significant role. If you look at historical records, for centuries, India and China have learned from each other," he said.
"Together, they have always contributed to the global good in some way. Old records suggest that at one point India and China alone accounted for more than 50 per cent of the world's GDP. That's how massive India's contribution was. And I believe our ties have been extremely strong, with deep cultural connections," Modi said.
During his over three-hour interaction, the prime minister said there was no real history of conflict between India and China if one looked back over centuries.
"It has always been about learning from each other and understanding one another. At one time, Buddhism had a profound influence in China, and that philosophy originated in India," Modi said.
"In the future too our relationship should remain just as strong and continue to grow. Differences are natural. When two neighbouring countries exist, occasional disagreements are bound to happen," he said.
Even within a family, not everything is always perfect, he said, adding "but our effort is to ensure that these differences don't turn into disputes".
"That is why we actively work towards dialogue. Instead of discord, we stress on dialogue, because only through dialogue can we build a stable cooperative relationship that serves the best interests of both nations," Modi said.
