A mass rally and convention organised under the aegis of the Thamarassery, Kozhikode and Bathery dioceses as part of the culmination of the ‘Year of Faith’ observance here on Sunday echoed the concerns of settler farmers in the hill areas of Malabar over the implementation of the K. Kasturirangan panel report.
Diocese heads who addressed the mass rally and convention in the St. Joseph’s Cathedral compound in the city reiterated that they would not withdraw from the protests until the government removed the ‘anti-farmer’ provisions in the report.
Thamarassery Bishop Remigiose Inchananiyil and Kozhikode Bishop Varghese Chakkalakkal called upon the government to look into the apprehensions of the farming community about the report and clarify their doubts.
“The church will only protest through democratic and peaceful means,” Bishop Inchananiyil said.
While referring to the recent agitations taken up by the church against the report, he said there were some vested interest groups who tried to spearhead a smear campaign against the protests and used it for their personal gains.
“Our fight is for survival and is through peaceful means,” he said.
Bishop Chakkalakkal inaugurated the convention.
Bathery Bishop Joseph Mar Thomas, Bishop Emeritus of Calicut Diocese Maxwell Nerona, and Bishop Emeritus of Thamarassery Diocese Paul Chittilapilly were present.
