The demonstrations being organised by the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front and the opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front in Kerala to protest against the Manipur violence appears tto be political campaigns against the BJP's Christian outreach efforts in the state Kerala.
The BJP has been making open efforts in Kerala to make inroads into the Chrisitan vote banks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself initiating talks with church heads. But the attack on Christian institutions that followed have hit these efforts as many prominent church leaders in Kerala had expressed their concerns over the Manipur violence.
The Congress and the CPI(M) seems to be seizing this opportunity politically to resist BJP's Christian outreach.
While the UDF is observing Saturday as Manipur day and holding demonstrations in all districts to express solidarity with the people of Manipur, the LDF will be holding demonstrations at district level and assembly constituency level on June 27 and July 5 respectively. Both the fronts accused the BJP governments at the centre and Manipur for failing to end the nearly two month long tension in the northeast state.
Political analyst Jacob George said that the demonstrations by the LDF and the UDF need to be considered only as anti-BJP political moves in Kerala. The focus of the demonstrations are not just the attack of minorities in Manipur, but the attack by the BJP on the minorities, he pointed out.
Many church leaders in Kerala had also expressed their concerns over the Manipur incidents. Joshua Mar Ignathios of the Syro Malankara Catholic Church said that the government should take immediate steps to end the violence in Manipur and ensure Constitutional rights to all sections.
Published 23 June 2023, 11:22 IST