QUESTION:

What are your feelings about what happens in Manipur?

ANSWER:

It is highly deplo-rable. We really do not know for sure if there was a planned agenda behind it. But the things that happened after that point in that dir-ection. No proper en-quiry has been condu-cted on how one section got so many weapons from the godowns of the army camp. There was no concerted effort to curb the violence. Also, selected communities were targeted. Christ-ian worship places were burned. We are com-pelled to come to the conclusion that it is kind of a repetition of the communal clashes that took place in Kandha-mal, Gujarat, and Jharkhand. The majo-rity of the bishops were not supporting any one party. In the case of the Vizhinjam and Kudam-kulam struggles, bish-ops and priests were part of them. Those who stood with the people were targeted by the ruling powers. They pull the strings and create problems. Criticise the govern-ment and you will have to pay the price for it. Still, we need to stand for justice.

Bp Alex Vadakumthala
Kannur