The two kerala nuns that were arrested for charging people and forced religious conversions were welcome after being released from Durg Central Jail in Durg, Chhattisgarh. | Photo Credit: PTI
OJuly 25, when the Police of Chhattisgarh arrested two nuns of Kerala for accusing forced conversion and trafficking in people, political parties in the southern state jumped into action. In a rare, united show of urgency, LDF and UDF, they sent a separate delegation to Chhattisgarh. BJP is in power in Chhattisgarh; Yet her unit Kiela also sent the team, decided not to be overcome. All their efforts paid off because the nuns were finally granted a bail by the NIA court.
It was not the first time that Christian missionaries from Kerarals faced legal problems or vigilant hostility in northern India. But what distinguishes this case and gave him sharp political resonance imaging that nuns were Catholic. Their detention caused anger and came, as it was only a few months before two elections: one local authorities and the other to the assembly.
As the third largest demographic group Keraly after Hinda and Muslim Christians, especially Catholics, they have long dominated a significant influence – not only in education, health and charity initiatives, but also in politics and politics.
In the last few years, however, it seemed that the community has been carrying political margins. Attention turned inside, with growing concern about problems such as a massive wave of youth migration to the west. The Chhattisgarh episode plunged the church back to the center of attention, although there remains ambiguity about its political harmonization.
Historically, the Catholic voice was considered a pillar of UDF support led by Congress, especially in the Central Region Travancore. However, this relationship began to weaken after the fall of the UDF rule. The death of the Congress of Keral Km Mani and the leader of the Oommen Congress Congress further deepened the disconnection.
LDF LDF LDF CPI (M) quickly took advantage of. By harmonizing with the Congress of Kerala (M), a group of chips with Catholic roots, she managed to penetrate the UDF fortress in Central Travancore. In the last elections, LDF not only retained much, but also significantly entered the Catholic majority constituencies. But the Church did not stay. He attacked the government of LDF on questions such as agrarian distress and wild animal attacks.
Congress tried to get back the lost land and named Sunny Joseph, a Catholic leader with strong ties across Catholic dioceses of Central Travancore and Malabar, as a party leader in Kerala. Given that Congress is only three out of 21 seats in Central Travancore, he hopes that this appointment will lead to his political recovery.
Meanwhile, BJP is slowly growing a Catholic vote in Kerala. What began as an unspoken equalization of shared anxiety, such as “love jihad” and “narcotic jihad”, gradually developed in strategic efforts. The party began to evoke Christian leaders and build quiet channels with parts of the Church. In April 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Sacred Heart Cathedral Cathedral in Nový Dilli and then met the best bishops in Kochi.
But the main honeymoon was short -term. Violence against churches in manipure seriously tense this nascent alliance. The BJP then attempted to correct the course by repeating the criticism of the Church Pro-Palestinian rhetoric from competing parties and supporting the Council of the Catholic Bishops’ Council to greater political engagement of Christians. The controversy of WAQF land in Munambam also helped to attract the segments of the Catholic clergy and laymen.
When the Church recognized growing political betting, it began to assert itself more in public affairs. Yet there is an internal mismatch under this statement. While several members of the clergy seem willing to participate in the BJP, much remains cautious, mainly because of the ties of the party with groups of Hindutva known for anti -Christian rhetoric.
Just as the Kieral political class began to realize that the Catholic voices were in the game, the Chhattisgarh episode appeared. For the Catholic Church, arrests served as awakening about how its spiritual and members were perceived, especially in parts of northern and central India.
The other two election cycles could determine how the Church would decide to politically stand up. For the time being, each party is in high readiness, because they know that this once reliable block is no longer guaranteed, but it is worth fighting.
Published – 5th August 2025 12:50
