The Hindu : Front Page : Ready for discussion with church leadership: CPI(M)

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Wednesday, Jun 17, 2009
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Ready for discussion with church leadership: CPI(M)

Special Correspondent

Welcomes Major Archbishop’s call for open dialogue

Wants a solution to problems in self-financing stream
Says party stands for the welfare of all sections

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) State secretariat has said that the party and the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government are ready to hold talks with the leadership of the Christian church on issues in the education sector.

In a statement here on Tuesday, the CPI(M) secretariat welcomed the stance of Major Archbishop of the Malankara Catholic Church Baselios Mar Cleemis that the church was ready for an open dialogue with the CPI(M) and the government on issues in the education sector. Pointing out that a solution to the issues relating to self-financing professional education was in the larger interest of the Kerala society, the party leadership also welcomed Major Archbishop Varkey Cardinal Vithayathil and Archbishop Joseph Powathil’s call that the government should adopt a consensual approach on the subject.

(Expressing the church’s willingness to hold talks with the government, Mar Cleemis had said here on Monday that the church had concern over certain steps of the government on issues like religious rights and it was the duty of the government to allay such fears and apprehensions. Mar Cleemis is vice-president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of India.)

LDF’s attempts

While sanctioning the self-financing professional colleges, the United Democratic Front leadership had not arrived at any agreement or understanding on the relevant issues. Although the LDF government did go ahead with legislative measures to find a solution to the problem, those proved to be a failure. Later, the government took the initiative to hold talks with the church leaders representing the professional college managements. There were also some healthy discussions between the CPI(M) leadership and the church authorities. The discussions had almost reached fruition but, for some reason, the party got the feeling that the church leadership withdrew from the talks.

The CPI(M) stood for the welfare of all sections of people including Christians. Communists and Leftists had all along worked to preserve secularism in the country and safeguard minority interests. As such, the party considered it appropriate the Archbishop’s praise for the Left for the sanctuary it had provided for the minorities during the recent Orissa violence. It was not a path of confrontation with the church that the communists were looking forward to, but mutual understanding that would ensure social justice in various fields including the field of education, the CPI(M) State secretariat said.

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