Veteran politician Sebastian Paul said on Monday (June 9) that it was high time for the Communist parties to address the Christian community without mediating community political organizations. He spoke to the seminar of “religion and political parties”, which took place as part of the celebration of the second anniversary of Deshiya Manavik leads in Kozhikode.
Mr. Paul urged communist parties to accept an action plan to create political awareness among community members rather than reassuring smaller political parties that often represent the community.
“It is quite difficult to bridge the gap between followers of communism and Christianity. Communist governments around the world have often encountered the Church, not for religious reasons, but because of financial and political factors,” he said.
He added that the basic values defended by Jesus Christ and Karel Marx were strikingly similar, because both stood for oppressed and marginalized. “However, the Church later turned into a protector of legitimate interests that owns large property areas, while communism defended the fair distribution of resources among the public,” Paul said.
The filmmaker PT Kunhumuhammed, who chaired the seminar, pointed out the lack of the influence of political organizations claiming to represent the Muslim population of the state. He shared the opinion of Mr. Sebastian Paul that the main political parties should make direct contact with the minority communities.
Social critic Ken Kunjahammed, President of MES Fazal Gafoor and writer Khadeeja Mumtaz also took part in the meeting. The writer K. Satchidanandan joined the discussions practically.
Published – 9 June 2025 20:16
