The Hindu : Front Page : Church to go ahead with agitation plan

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jul 25, 2007
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Church to go ahead with agitation plan

George Jacob

Mar Joseph Powathil says Government’s words and deeds do not match.

KOTTAYAM: Even as the State Government launched low-key efforts to assuage the sentiments of a combative Catholic Church hierarchy, a conclave of priests called by the Archdiocese of Changanassery, Syro-Malabar Church, on Tuesday decided to move forward with the formation of ‘vigilance teams’ and the protest march scheduled on August 12.

Speaking to mediapersons, Archbishop Mar Joseph Powathil and Mar Joseph Perumthottam said they had not decided to revive the talks. In fact, they are interested in the talks only if it is effective.

“Their words and deeds do not match,” said Mar Powathil. The high priests wanted the Government to rescind the professional colleges Act the provisions of which had been struck down by Courts and to desist from the move to involve local bodies in the administration of schools.

A resolution adopted by the meeting exhorted the flock to join hands against what it termed the move on the part of the Government to politicise the education sector and to infringe upon minority rights and said the Church would move ahead with its awareness campaigns and agitations.

‘Anti-minority actions’

According to them, the anti-minority actions include the revision of curriculum, suspension of appointments to 16 colleges and higher secondary schools, upsetting of social justice in the admissions to self- financing colleges and revision of the Kerala Education Rules.

The day began with a visit of Kerala Congress(J) chairman P.J. Joseph and Public Works Minister T.U. Kuruvilla to the Archbishop’s House at Changanassery, where they met Mar Perumthottam and Mar Powathil.

Speaking to The Hindu, sources close to the Church hierarchy said “nothing substantial took place” during the talks. The Archbishop told them that the public statements and the actions of the Government did not match. &# 8220;The emissaries had nothing to offer,” the sources said.

Mr. Joseph, when contacted, said Tuesday’s visit was a preliminary effort so that effective talks could be initiated soon. “I expect talks could be revived soon,” he said.

In Thiruvananthapuram, Law Minister M. Vijayakumar had met Archbishop Susaipakiam on Monday evening.

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