A meeting of the Archbishops of the Syro Malabar Church held in Kochi on Monday, has decided not to withdraw their offensive against the government’s alleged anti-minority attitude. However, it has also decided to accept the Achuthanandan Government’s offer for discussions to resolve their differences.

The meeting was convened by the supreme head of Syro Malabar Church Cardinal Mar Varkey Vithayathil, a day after various churches also closed ranks against the government’s “hostile” attitude. The churches had made their stand clear, through pastoral letters, following CPM State secretary, Pinarayi Vijayan’s call to withdraw the pastoral letters.

He later toned his rhetoric down and said that the government was ready to sort out their differences through discussions.

The new developments are in the wake of the government’s persistent efforts to regulate admissions, fee structure and teachers’ appointments in the higher education sector and minority-run professional colleges.

Inter-Church Council chairman Archbishop Joseph Powathil, who chaired Monday’s meeting,  said past meetings held between the government and representatives of church-run educational institutions had produced no results.

Meanwhile, the Kerala Catholic Youth Movement under the Irinjalakkuda diocese, formed a 300-member protective sena on Sunday, to their express protest and to take on the government.