Southern States - Tamil Nadu   

False promises to hapless people: Madurai archbishop

By S. Annamalai

MADURAI FEB. 18. The wooing of bishops at Palayamkottai and Tuticorin by AIADMK Ministers and the promises given by the party general secretary, Jayalalithaa, in her election campaign in Sattankulam have not helped to break the ice. On the contrary, the United Minorities Forum (UMF), Tamil Nadu-Pondicherry, which spearheads the struggle against the anti-conversion law, has toughened its stand. The archbishop of Madurai, M. Arokiasamy, who heads the UMF, has accused the AIADMK Government of "spraying false promises on hapless people".

The major Christian churches utilised the occasion of the 32nd anniversary of the consecration of Rev. Arokiasamy here on Monday to come out with the `Madurai Declaration 2003', which spelt out the duties and rights of Christians. Though this document, compiled by the `Struggle Committee Against the Anti-Conversion Act', addressed broader issues confronting the religion, the provocation for the `declaration' was certainly the anti-conversion law.

The archbishop, in his speech before a gathering of over 300 representatives from different churches, referred to the AIADMK Ministers' meeting with the Tuticorin Roman Catholic bishop, Peter Fernando, and their assurance that "absolute safety would be provided to the minorities". The Chief Minister's contention that there was peace and tranquillity in the State under her stewardship was "nothing but an election stunt". He wanted to know weather there was a single instance of communal clash following conversions prior to the enactment of the legislation. He accused Ms. Jayalalithaa of attempting to present a "wrong picture" to justify the enforcement of a law, meant to please Hindu fundamentalists rather than promoting social amity.

The archbishop maintained that the "uncompromising stand" of the UMF and the churches, of opposing the BJP and its allies, remained unchanged but the AIADMK, though not a constituent of the National Democratic Alliance, had gone "one up" to earn the acclaim of the Hindutva forces by enacting the "unwarranted" law. That such "futile laws" did not exist even in the States ruled by the BJP itself was proof of the Chief Minister's "exuberance to promote one religion at the cost of others and still say she is neutral".

The `Madurai Declaration 2003', church sources said, was a "fruitful exercise in fusion of different main line churches in the State under one umbrella".

The anti-conversion law, they said, had provided a great momentum to the ecumenical movement and "the unification of churches is perhaps the only good fallout".

Representatives from the various churches, including the CSI and Anglican Church, attended the function.

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