Fr Puthiyaparambil says Church leaders, unlike believers, have tied themselves to political power to shield their own interests.
Published Aug 31, 2025 | 12:57 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 31, 2025 | 12:57 PM
Fr. Aji Puthiyaparambil shares his perspectives with South First on the evolving political and religious dynamics in the state.
Synopsis: Syro-Malabar priest Fr Aji Puthiyaparambil, suspended for speaking out against injustices within the Church, warns that the Kerala Church has lost its moral compass by courting political power, repeating the divisive narratives of the Sangh and seeking favour with the BJP. In a conversation with South First, he criticised the Church’s leadership for its silence on attacks against Christians, from the jailing of Stan Swamy to the violence in Manipur, saying it mirrors the Modi government’s selective silences.
Kerala has already stepped into the heat of the upcoming assembly elections, where minority votes hold significant sway. The state’s Christian community recently made national headlines after two Malayali nuns were arrested in Chhattisgarh on charges of human trafficking and forced conversions, spending nine days in jail.
The incident sparked intense political debate, with the BJP aiming to court Kerala’s Christian voters.
Against this backdrop, Fr Thomas (Aji) Puthiyaparambil, already suspended from priestly duties by the Thamarassery Diocese of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church for speaking out against injustices within the Church and commenting on politics, shares his perspectives with South First on the evolving political and religious dynamics in the state.
Q: Kerala stood by the nuns arrested in Chhattisgarh, but after their release, they went to thank Kerala BJP chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar. What political message is the Church sending to the public by this act?
A: We can’t blame the sisters, they were scared, sitting like prey in front of a predator. They were forced to go. The real issue lies with the people who sent them; their mindset is clear, they want bread, not freedom or democracy. They hide in the shadows because they have secrets.
The predator here is the Bajrang Dal, which has targeted Christians.
The girls involved in the issue faced immense pressure to give statements against the nuns, yet they chose to stand by the truth. The act of the Church shows ingratitude toward them. Thanking those who attacked the nuns reflects a slave mindset and a lack of self-respect on the part of the Church.
Q: Why have some Christian bishops in Kerala echoed Sangh Parivar narratives, using terms like ‘love jihad’ and ‘narcotic jihad,’ even though the Sangh Parivar in Kerala rarely expresses direct hostility toward Muslim minorities?
A: In Kerala, Sangh Parivar didn’t always speak hate directly. Some bishops took up this role, spreading such narratives. The Church leadership seems to have lost its moral compass, prioritising finance, institutions, and profit-making over principles.
They feel they cannot move forward without power, and if there is much to hide, they seek government protection. The blame lies with the leadership, not the believers, who remain politically aware.
The Church leadership allowed itself to be part of a strategy that divided two minority communities for political gain. BJP is splitting Kerala’s minorities.
Christian Association & Alliance for Social Action [CASA] has now become BJP’s B team, echoing the same divisive rhetoric. Terms like love jihad and narcotic jihad are being used to pit communities against each other, which is exactly what BJP wants.
Q: Recently, a priest from Pala Diocese participated in an RSS programme. Did it happen without the consent of the Church?
A: A priest from Pala Diocese participated in an RSS event, Sankholi, with the diocese’s consent. This sends a confusing message: solidarity with groups known for hating Muslims while seeking their support for financial dealings.
Similarly, priests have visited BJP offices with sweets and cakes. Earlier, BJP came to the Church. Now, the Church goes to BJP. Such acts cannot be justified as moral values; they are clearly political statements.
Fascism historically begins by claiming to be for the people, then becomes godlike, demanding worship. In Kerala, we see a similar pattern. Initially, BJP offered symbolic gestures like cakes. Now, those who accepted the cake must return the favour when political benefits are needed, like the nuns going to thank them. This pattern will likely repeat in coming elections.
Q: The upcoming Kerala assembly elections are crucial. LDF has been in power for two terms, Congress wants a comeback, but NDA is gaining ground – 18 percent vote share in the last Lok Sabha polls. How will Kerala’s Christian community vote this time?
A: We have right and left politics, but extreme left or right is usually not accepted. Recently, some extreme right support came from Syrian Christians.
A section of them feels connected to Brahmanical ideas, which BJP and RSS promote. RSS wants to bring back a Brahmanical-era dominance and talks of Akhanda Bharat, but South India is not part of that vision. Some Christians still support this. Which bishop houses do these BJP and RSS people go to?
In election time, this thanksgiving drama will unfold again. They will call bishop houses and demand priests and bishops to go to BJP offices.
Q: The Church in Kerala has shown little to no solidarity with the people of Manipur, and a strong statement in support is unlikely. By remaining silent during such riots, are they betraying the trust of their own believers?
A: The issue is not just the Manipur riots. In the Stan Swamy case, the Church also remained silent. He was illegally arrested and died in jail under the BJP government. Swamy was a Parkinson’s patient. He asked for a straw to drink water in jail, but it was denied. Later, he died. It was an institutional murder. Did the Church raise its voice then? No.
A clear message was sent to the Church: if you speak for Stan Swamy, we will raise issues in your land cases. Those cases are now frozen.
In the Manipur issue too, the Church remained silent. It tried to portray it as a tribal issue. But that is not true. Around 600 churches were vandalised in Manipur. Government data mentions only 300.
I recently participated in a national online seminar. Priests from Manipur said many people are still in relief camps. Manipur is almost split in two. Priests cannot even visit bishop houses in Kerala. The Church in Kerala still remains silent.
Permission was denied for the Way of the Cross in Delhi. Priests were attacked in Jabalpur. Did the Church speak out? No. Around 860 such attacks happened in 2024 alone. The Church remained silent in all these cases.
The Church did not utter a word about ‘vote chori’. They remained silent.
Silent on demonetisation, CAA, Waqf Bill, saffronisation in education.
‘Vote chori’ allegations? Silent again. The Church remains silent where the Modi government itself chooses silence.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
