Thiruvananthapuram: Amid the mounting protest against the Gadgil and Kasturirangan reports, a section of church leaders has joined hands with environmentalists demanding implementation of the reports.
The pro-CPM Mar Thoma bishop Geevarghese Mar Coorilose, Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad, the progressive art and literary movement, and noted environmentalists have come out against the CPM and the mainline churches for creating a hysteria in the name of the reports on the Western Ghats.
They felt the position taken by CPM and the Catholic Church was against the interest of the state and without understanding the Gadgil report in the proper perspective.
They have dissociated themselves from the LDF hartal called against implementing new steps to protect the ecologically sensitive areas in the state.
The CSI central Kerala diocese has also said the Kasturirangan report was being opposed without knowing the facts and for vested political interests.
In a post on Facebook, bishop Coorilose wrote: “I know quite well that my opinion here would surely be a minority one; yet I feel compelled to call a spade a spade. I am terribly disturbed by the strategy of ‘fear psychosis’ being cleverly adopted by the mainline churches and the Left parties in Kerala.
In fact, we should be protesting against the Union Government's decision to reject the original report submitted by Madhav Gadgil because the Kasturirangan report is already watered down.
Thamarassery bishop has second thoughts
Kozhikode: Thamarassery bishop Remigius Inchananiyil, who had opposed the Gadgil and Kasturirangan reports, has toned down his views on the strategy to oppose the recommendations.
The bishop had spoken about preferring ‘martyrdom to being a lord over the people evicted from their land,’ but he said on Saturday that the Church will only adopt Gandhian methods to oppose the reports.
Remigius Inchananiyil
After a meeting with Congress president Sonia Gandhi along with M.I. Shanavas MP in Delhi on Saturday, the bishop told reporters that the Church was not supporting the hartal and other agitations launched by the LDF on the issue.
He also told reporters that the Congress president had assured him that not a single farmer would be evicted in the name of implementing the Kasturirangan report. The bishop changed his stand following the violence that rocked the hill tracts of Kozhikode district on Friday.
