Kerala Church protests farmers’ suicides, earns the wrath of local govt

Kalpetta, Kerala: With over 100 farmers committing suicide in the State’s northern district of Wynad over the last two months due to debts, the Church in Kerala has taken up their issue and has called for a relentless struggle to save them.

The Church with other social organizations has joined hands with the opposition Left Democratic Front (LDF) led by Communist Party of India in the State, demanding writing off of farmers’ debts and grant of reasonable compensation for their family.

However, the local UDF government has not taken the stand of the Roman Catholic Church lightly. In a bid to overcome the crisis faced over its alleged failure in dealing with the recent problems faced by farmers and irritated by the anti–UDF stand taken by the Roman Catholic Church, the district unit of the Congress party strongly came out against the Church for attacking the UDF govt. and vehemently opposed the entry of religious organizations into the political arena.

At a recent press conference, the Congress leaders said that instead of creating awareness among the laity against the increasing tendency of suicides, the spiritual leaders are targeting the UDF Government, which rendered much help to the farming community in the district.

It is a paradox that those spiritual leaders who were expected to extend a helping hand to the kith and kin of farmers who have committed suicide, are in fact taking the issue to the streets, the Congress leaders said.

The Congress leaders further stated that the religious leadership, like the Opposition, were exaggerating the incidents of suicides and was pressurizing the Government for its own ends.

Referring to the assistance announced by the Government for the agriculture sector in the district they said that unlike during the tenure of earlier Government, which neglected the district, Wynad received the highest financial assistance during the present Government.

– by staff reporter.