Christian leaders in Kerala have raised doubts about the state government’s claim that it has provided new welfare support for poor and disadvantaged Christians.
The concerns follow a statement by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who said on 6 January that his government had acted on the findings of the Justice J. B. Koshy Commission, a state body formed to study social and economic challenges faced by Christians. The commission was established in 2021 and submitted its report in May 2023.
According to the chief minister, 17 government departments have already implemented the commission’s proposals, with action completed on more than 200 recommendations.
However, Father Philip Kaviyil, director of the Catholic Congress Global Committee of the Syro-Malabar Church, questioned the claim and called on the government to publish full details of the recommendations and the programmes that have supposedly been introduced.
He said many Christians had not seen any evidence of the changes the government says it has made. Without transparency, he added, such statements appear more political than practical.
Other Christian leaders have voiced similar concerns. Joseph Jude, vice-president of the Kerala Region Latin Catholic Council, said his organisation has repeatedly asked the government to make the commission’s findings public but has received no response. He said that neither the recommendations nor the identities of any beneficiaries have been shared with the community.
Christians form around 18 per cent of Kerala’s population of 33 million, and many observers believe their support will play an important role in the state assembly elections expected later this year.
Adapted from UCA News.
