Kerala’s communist government refuses to withdraw criminal cases despite 140-day protest being called off
Archbishop Thomas Netto of Trivandrum (center) leading fishermen protesters, who want the government to halt construction of a port project in the southern Indian state of Kerala. (Photo: supplied)
Hopes that bishops and priests in the Latin Archdiocese of Trivandrum in India’s southern Kerala district could avoid criminal charges stemming from a 140-day fishermen’s anti-port protest have been dashed despite the protest having been called off.
“We will deal with it legally. None of us did anything illegal by supporting the genuine cause of the fishermen,” Father Michael Thomas, one of the conveners of the protest, told UCA News on Dec. 16.
Police have registered 168 cases against close to 50 Catholic clergies including Archbishop Thomas J Netto and Auxiliary Bishop Christudas Rajappan after the protest against the multi-billion dollar Adani Vizhinjam Port on the Arabian Sea coast in Thiruvananthapuram district turned violent in the last week of November.
Violence broke out on Nov. 26 at the protest site when some pro-port protesters threw stones at and beat up a group opposing the protest. Police arrested four people and refused to release them leading to further violence in which 90 protesters and 36 police were injured.
“That cannot be treated as a criminal offense in a democratic country”
The communist-led government in Kerala has said it will not withdraw the cases, which include criminal charges such as attempted murder, conspiracy, incitement, unlawful gathering, and destruction of public property among others.
Archbishop Netto faces six criminal charges though he was not even present at the scene of the violence.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan informed the state assembly on Dec. 12 that his government will not withdraw the cases registered against Archbishop Netto and the others, and they will be prosecuted.
The prelates and others are also accused of defying a Kerala high court order to allow construction work at the port site.
Father Thomas said “our aims were to attract the attention of the government to the genuine concerns of the fishermen and that cannot be treated as a criminal offense in a democratic country.”
Police have also registered cases against 3,000 other people including children.
“The fishermen’s protest was given a sectarian color”
The violence and the subsequent police action, observers believe “was part of a government conspiracy to discredit the peaceful protest that was gaining huge public support as people believed the protesters’ grievances were genuine.”
The fishermen’s protest was given a sectarian color since a majority of them were Catholics and were being supported by the bishops and priests from the local archdiocese.
Their main gripe was the port construction, which started in 2015, having left about 500 fishermen’s families homeless after their houses were destroyed due to coastal erosion.
This prompted them to demand that the government halt the port’s construction for three months to conduct a study on the environmental and human impact of the project, besides ensuring their resettlement and full rehabilitation.
Latest News
Credit: Source link
