By Thomas Scaria
Palai: Bishop Joseph Kallarangatt of Palai has stirred another controversy by alleging that some groups try to destroy young Catholics with narcotics and fake love.
In a democratic country like India, use of weapons to destroy another community is impossible, so they use novel methods like “love jihad and narcotic jihad,” Bishop Kallarangatt said September 8 while addressing a gathering attending the nativity feast of Mother Mary.
According to the 65-year-old prelate, deliberate attempts have been made to trap “our youths from our schools, colleges, or work places with narcotic initiation” through “love and drugs,” both are highly addictive.
The bishop hinted that at least a small section of Muslims believes in extreme means to promote their religion and destroy ‘non-Muslims’ through jihadi actions.
Quoting Kerala’s former deputy general of police Lokanath Behra, Bishop Kallarangatt said the southern Indian state is a recruiting ground for jihadis for terrorism. He said the women trapped in love jihad and brought to Afghanistan were not originally Muslims but victims of love jihad.
“Fathima who is married to a jihadi and brought to Afghanistan was Nimisha, a Hindu, while Ayisha, another victim of love jihad was Sonia Sebastian, a Catholic,” the bishop observed in his message telecast by Shekinah Television.
“Love Jihad and Narcotic Jihad are realities and those who oppose it in social media have their vested interests,” the bishop maintained.
Earlier in July, Bishop Kallarangattu courted a controversy when he announced sops for Catholic families in his diocese with five or more children and applicable to couples married after 2000.
The term “narcotic Jihad” has led to discussion in social media and TV debates in Kerala, where Christians form 18 percent of the population.
Francis Moothedan, an addiction professional with more than 25 years of experience, says the use of the word “narcotic Jihad” is not realistic as it has no evidence. No research has been done to establish a link between drugs and coercion of Christian youth to Islam, Moothedan, who is also an international trainer in addiction management who has travelled to many countries, told Matters India.
Those involved in drug pushing have no religion and they cannot be called “jihadis,” he asserted.
“I have worked in a Christian medical college for over two decades as the in charge of the drug rehabilitation but never noticed any particular community being specially targeted in drug abuse,” he pointed out.
Moothedan observed that many Muslim youths are involved in drug trafficking, as evidenced from the narcotic cases registered, but they were mostly “driven by their economic gains” not to convert non-Muslims.
“Most drugs, especially narcotics, come from Islamic countries such as Afghanistan. So, it is natural unemployed youth are attracted to drugs trade,” he said, adding that the use of drugs have increased among young people in Kerala, especially during the pandemic.
Shaiju Antony, a spokesman of the Catholic Vigilance Committee in Kerala, urged the bishop to provide proofs of the existence of “narcotic jihad.”
Speaking to a Malayalam channel, 24 News, Antony said the bishop’s statement is not based on any research and he is bound to defend his statement before it is discussed in public media.