Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 28, 2019: A secretariat march organized by the Joint Christian Council in the Kerala state capital to press for a Church act drew a massive crowd.

The march on November 28 was held under the aegis of the ecumenical All Kerala Church Act Action Council (AKCAAC) that has demanded the enactment of the Kerala Christian Church Properties and Institutions Trust Bill.

While some reports said more than 50,000 attended the march, the organizers claimed four times that number joined the event.

The AKCAAC has been demanding the enactment of the Bill proposed in 2009 by a panel of Kerala Law Reforms Commission chaired by late Justice V R Krishna Iyer.

Sister Lucy Kalappura, who was expelled from the Franciscan Clarist Congregation, inaugurated the dharna in front of the Kerala state Secretariat.

Social activist Swami Agnivesh, former principal of Delhi’s St Stephen’s College Valson Thampu, legal adviser of AKCAAC Indulekha Joseph and several representatives of various Christian denominations attended the march.

The AKCAAC questioned the Kerala government’s hesitation to enact the bill states like Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Goa have made such legislations.

Addressing the gathering, Sister Kalappura said she has high hopes that Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will take necessary action soon.

“There are largescale corruption and exploitation prevailing among the various Christian denominations in the state today. The believers are forced to live as slaves under the masters –– the archbishops and bishops –– who control the community. It is high time that we believers get liberated,” the 54-year-old schoolteacher said.

The Church Act can become a sharp-edged tool to fight the authority and exploitation forced upon the laity by the Church heads, she said.

“We need a timely change in the practice of canon laws which date back to 1700. It is for this change and renaissance that we have all assembled here together,” she said.

According to Swami Agnivesh, Kerala has shown the whole world that common people can liberate themselves from the yoke. “Like all right-thinking people in the world, I feel inspired by Jesus of Nazareth because he said he came to set the captives free. The bishops and priests have made their people slaves and captives,” he said.

“I will raise the issue before the CM, the speaker, the finance minister and the state governor. I will also organize a similar march in Delhi for Hindus who also need to liberate themselves from emerging fascist forces,” Agnivesh said.

The members of AKCAAC also met Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan and discussed the issue. Jacobite priest Father Yuhanon Ramban said that the governor, “who was surprised that Kerala is yet to have such a legislation,” promised to intervene in the matter.

Source: The Times of India