KOCHI: Cardinal Mar Baselios Cleemis, President of Kerala Catholic Bishops Council (KCBC), asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to break his silence on the situation in riot-hit Manipur and intervene to bring peace to the state.
Speaking at the ‘Jaago Bharat’ hunger strike organised by Congress MLA Mathew Kuzhalnadan in Muvattupuzha on Saturday against the BJP-led Centre in the Manipur issue, the cardinal said, “Manipur is a state whose people also live by India’s constitution. Why is the administration taking so much time to quell the violence in the state? It has been 65 days now. Why is there silence? PM Modi should stop his silence and speak now. “
He continued, “He should share the country’s integrity with the world. There is no better opportunity than this to tell the world that democracy prevails in India. Secularism is not a decorative term in India’s constitution, it is a living philosophy. I ask the administration to leave silence behind and intervene to bring peace in Manipur.”
Mar Baselios Cleemis, also the archbishop of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church in Kerala, said the Centre and the state administration in Manipur have the moral responsibility to protect the lives of people. He also took a swipe stating that no one should think Christianity can be wiped out from the country in the name of the Manipur riots.
{{/usCountry}}Mar Baselios Cleemis, also the archbishop of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church in Kerala, said the Centre and the state administration in Manipur have the moral responsibility to protect the lives of people. He also took a swipe stating that no one should think Christianity can be wiped out from the country in the name of the Manipur riots.
{{/usCountry}}He said, “There are different assumptions in the name of riots in Manipur. There is a simple question. Are those fighting and killing each other there Indians or foreigners? If they are Indians, shouldn’t the Indian government have the moral responsibility to protect their lives?”
“Let religions and beliefs be kept aside. In the name of riots there, if anyone thinks they can wipe out Christianity from India, it’s a daydream. India’s soul tells us that there is great danger in making people from different religions fight each other.”
At least 125 people have been killed and over 300 injured in ethnic clashes in the northeastern state since May 3. According to reports, around 50,000 people have been displaced from their homes.