Telugu Church’s social service director dies of heart attack

By Sujata Jena

Bhubaneswar, June 22, 2020: The Telugu Catholic Church and Dalit activists have mourned the death of Father Bichapogu Anthaiah, director of Andhra Pradesh Social Service Forum.

“I am deeply sorry to inform you that Father Bichapogu Anthaiah died this morning in Yeshoda Hospital due to cardiac arrest,” says a message from Bishop Moses P Prakasam of Nellore.

The 53-year-old priest died in the morning of June 22 in Hyderabad, capital of Telangana state.

Bishop Prakasam described Father Anthaiah as “a promising priest” and said his death was “big loss” for the entire Telugu speaking Church.

The prelate told Matters India on WhatsApp Messenger that Father Anthaiah’s body will be brought to Nellore, some 455 km southeast of Hyderabad.

Father Anthaiah’s funeral is scheduled at 10:30 am on June 23 at Nellore, Father Anthoniraj Thumma, the regional secretary for Ecumenism and Interreligious Dialogue of Telugu Catholic Bishops’ Council, told Matters India in a WhatsApp message.

The priest’s death was mourned also by people outside the Telugu Church.

“I am very sorry to hear the sad demise of Anthaiah. He is such a passionate person that whenever he visited Delhi we used to discuss about the empowerment of Dalit Christians,” Father Devasagayaraj Zackarias, former secretary of the Indian bishops’ department for Dalit people and Other Backward Communities, told Matters India.

Hailing Father Anthaiah as “an ever smiling and friendly person,” Father Zackarias, who now serves as a parish priest in Tamil Nadu, said Father Anthaiah’s death was “not only a great loss for Nellore and Andhra Pradesh region but for the Indian Dalit Christian community. We will carry forward his spirit and enthusiasm.”

Father Zackarias described Father Anthaiah as a “bold person who insisted on power sharing with Dalits in Church bodies such as Caritas India.

Fr. Ajaya Singh, a social activist priest in Odisha, voiced disbelief over Father Anthaiah’s death “I have lost a good friend. We shared a lot of good memories, and struggles of the community.”