By Felix Anthony
Guwahati: Lack of professionalism often takes the Church’s media advocacy in the wrong direction, admits the Indian head of the international forum for Catholic media persons.
Church media persons also suffer from lack of passion and misplaced priorities, Father Stanly Kozhichira, the president of Signis India, told a virtual meeting on the theme of “‘Media Advocacy.”
The Delhi archdiocesan priest cited the recent controversy in Kerala over a Malayalam movie “Eeso” (Jesus) with a tagline “Not from the Bible.”
Catholics in the southern Indian state were on the warpath from August 5 against the film directed by Nadirshah, a Muslim, after its second poster’s release. They demanded the director to change the title before the film’s release. However, the Kerala High Court on August 13 dismissed a petition that had sought a stay on the movie’s release.
The hue and cry from Church communicators has given unwanted attention and publicity to a trivial issue, said Father Kozhichira, while addressing the virtual meeting convened by the president of Signis Northeast India, Salesian Father Johnson Parackal.
Bishop Albert Hemrom of Dibrugarh, chairman of the Social Communication Office of the North East India Regional Bishops’ Council, attended the meeting along with 15 social communication in-charges from the region.
The Signis India president asserted that the Church communicators in the country cannot be relevant without passion.
“If there is no passion, there is no professionalism,” he said and added, “The context we live in requires not much of technical equipment or expertise but passion to communicate the truth always and everywhere.”
Bishop Hemrom, in his opening address, highlighted how the region’s social communication department has played an important role during the Covid times to reach out to the needy, to spread awareness, to encourage vaccination and to spread positivity. The prelate encouraged the participants to use social media and other means of communication to continue their good work.
Speaking at the meeting, Allen Brooks, the spokesperson of Assam Christian Forum, said, “India in general and northeast region in particular is going through a critical time of our lifetime. In the wake of Cattle Bill and Population Control Bill, the Church should give direction to its communicators and they should speak out with clarity on these contentious issues.”
The Assam Assembly on August 13 passed the “Assam Cattle Preservation Bill, 2021” to replace the Assam Cattle Preservation Act, 1950 that allowed the slaughter of cattle, which are aged above 14 years, with approval from vets.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the new law was aimed at regulating the sale and purchase of beef in places other than the ones permitted by competent authorities.
However, the opposition parties pointed out that cow protection groups in the country tortured people and the bill might foment communal trouble in the state.
Earlier on June 12, Sarma announced gradual implementation of a two-child policy in the state for availing government benefits.