By George Kommattam
Kozhikode, April 5, 2025: A Catholic bishop has demanded the resignation of Kerala’s forest minister for his failure to protect farmers from wild animals in the southern Indian state.
“The forest minister is blind. He signs laws written by others. If he is incapable, he must resign. No more people should die from elephant attacks. Enough is enough,” asserted Bishop Remigiose Inchananiyil of Thamarassery while addressing a Rights Proclamation Rally organized by the diocesan unit of the Catholic Congress at Kozhikode, a town in Kerala.
Supporting them, Bishop Inchananiyil said, “We are on the verge of eviction. The government must open its eyes. No forest officer should enter our homes to check whether pork is being cooked. No such intrusion must be allowed. This meeting is a warning to the Forest Officers.”
Referring to the frequent intrusion of forest officials into village life and the alleged targeting of Christian settlers, the bishop called for urgent amendments to policies and forest laws that have made daily life unbearable in these remote regions.
This year, at least 57 people, mostly farmers, were reportedly killed in the wild animal attacks.
The rally too demanded immediate government action on forest department encroachment and attacks by wild animal that have claimed several lives. Condemning deliberate withholding of minority rights and benefits, the protestors expressed their frustration at a system they believe has ignored their cries for help.
“If US President Donald Trump could rewrite agreements, why can’t we do it here?” the bishop asked.
The protestors demanded the immediate release of the Justice J B Koshy Commission Report, which was submitted to the Kerala government in 2023. The report, said to contain 284 recommendations to address the Christian community’s challenges, remains shrouded in secrecy.
“The chief minister must explain why the Koshy Commission report is being hidden,” said Archbishop Mar Joseph Pamplany of Tellicherry, who inaugurated the rally. “This isn’t just about a report. This is about justice. If our rights are recognized and restored, there will be no need for a new political party. But if not, we will be forced to consider it.”
“We have taken to protest as we were pushed to the wall, and now we will not retreat,” said Archbishop Pamplany. “The Christian community must be given what it rightly deserves. The growth of one community and the denial of rights to others is unacceptable in a democracy.”
“This protest portrays the pathetic situation of people in our villages,” said protester Cherian Kommattathil, a farmer from Chakkittapara village. “We live in fear of elephants, leopards, and forest officials. When we seek help, we are ignored. When we protest, we are labeled troublemakers. What more is left for us to lose?”
Holding banners that read “Justice for Christian Farmers,” “Release the JB Koshy Report,” and “Protect Our Land, Our People,” the crowd marched through main streets before assembling at the rally ground.
“Today, we stand together — bishops, priests, nuns, and the faithful — not for power, but for justice,” said Father Jobin Thekkekaramattathil, a Thamarassery priest. “When our people are denied their rights, it becomes our moral duty to speak.”
Organizers from the Catholic Congress say the movement is only beginning. More rallies are planned across other dioceses in the coming months if the government fails to respond.
Speaking to Matters India, George Joseph Puthenpurackal, a retired engineer, said: “The Church entering the protest space with this level of intensity is unprecedented, because Christian settlers are on the verge of death. They can’t go out to their farms fearing wild animals. Wild boars have already claimed their farms, if they attack us there is no problem, if we attack to save our lives, forest officers will arrest us. Our life is terrible.”
Father Simon Kizhakkekunnel, the vicar of St. Antony’s Forane Church, Paroppady, Kozhikode, said, “We have made our voice heard and the participation is huge and unexpected in the history of Christians in Thamarassery diocese.”