Kerala polls: Church-run daily slams ‘political opportunists’

KOCHI: Church-run daily Deepika, in a hard-hitting editorial, has slammed the "political opportunists", in a veiled attack on BJP leaders including P C George and his son Shone George over their statements related to the ongoing row over the proposed amendments to the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA).The editorial said that at a time when laws passed for all citizens end up being a tool for hunting minorities, threats that one should not even talk about FCRA will be opposed, regardless of who makes them.The editorial also drew parallels with how Pope Leo took a stand against wars despite pressure from as big a military power as America. The editorial also cited an exchange between Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin. When asked if the Pope should be considered in decisions considering the Vatican's influence in Eastern Europe, Stalin mockingly inquired how many military divisions the Pope commanded, the editorial said. "Whether they are Communists, Fascists, Nazis, communalists or the political sycophants of Kerala, dictators repeat this same question. When mob trials, oppression and the laws required for them are repeated, those affected are expected to remain silent. They won't even allow a discussion in Parliament. Instead, they say: ‘We will just implement it; who are you to ask? How many of you are there? Aren't you just a small percentage? We are only tolerating you out of the govt's decency, so keep quiet or we will show you...' and so on. This threat is neither the first nor the last in history," the editorial said. The daily also reminded its readers that the Church has a long history of standing against such tyranny.