Kerala police assured that they would investigate the Latin Catholic priest’s threat of burning the police stations. Criminal pastors led by Saju Roldon threatened to burn the Vizhinjam police station if the protestors were arrested. City Police Commissioner Sparjan Kumar informed that he had started investigating the incident. Protestors led by the Latin Catholic church want Adani to abandon the 7,500 crore project.
Footage of the bigoted Christian priest’s anti-national rants and his followers encouraging him are circulating on social media. At the same time, many people have come out in protest against such moves of the Latin Archdiocese.
Earlier, locals claimed that the priests were deliberately trying to create conflict using the strike against the Vizhinjam project for political purposes. They alleged that the protestors are getting foreign funding. A powerful foreign lobby is at work that wants to block such big projects and thwart the country’s forward momentum.
Vizhijam locals are not in favor of the commotion. People are eagerly awaiting the area’s growth. They said abandoning such a significant project at the last minute is regrettable. They believe that the poor fishermen have been forced to suffer because the church is afraid it may lose the control it has over them.
Those who oppose the protests said that Eugene Pereira, Vicar General, Latin Archdiocese of Thiruvananthapuram, and Theodosius D’Cruz, convener of the movement, are inciting fishermen. They led the attack on the poor fish workers by delivering fanatic hate speeches at Mulloor beach, where the port is coming up. Mulloor natives said these bishops are trying to create communal issues to stop Hindus from celebrating Onam.
They promised they would burn the effigy of these priests on Monday, September 5, at 5 pm. Goons associated with the church destroyed posters that came up about this. Police arrested six criminals who indulged in these violent acts, and that is when the priests incited their followers to attack police stations. Since the area is now under the control of the bigoted priests, neutral media are denied access.
The local media is busy whipping up passion and reporting the hunger strike but failed to show the calls to burn down police stations. So-called fishermen, who are not locals, protested against the construction of Vizhinjam port and went on a hunger strike on September 8, Thiruvonam day. The hunger strike was held, alleging that the government had cheated them. The protest was held at the port gate, where they laid out empty banana leaves and held a fast.
Fishermen from Poonthura are protesting today. The chief minister and the cabinet sub-committee held several talks with the protestors, but the problem has not been resolved. The dispute still rages over the protestors’ demand for a halt to port construction and a study on coastal erosion.
Earlier this month, priests at several Latin churches read out a circular in several churches that instigated followers to continue with the Vizhinjam port strike. This move came immediately after the High Court issued an interim order to provide police protection for the construction of Vizhinjam port. The High Court had also made it clear that if the police could not provide protection, they could seek the help of the central forces. The church claimed that the authorities had sided with the port contractor and obtained a temporary injunction order against the fishermen.
Meanwhile, the Latin church announced a blockade strike until September 13. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan opposed the strike. He said that Vizhinjam Port is an important project and added that he could not stop the construction. Yet, neither have the police taken action against the criminal priests nor have they asked for more central security forces. The whole area is now under the control of the priests and their cronies.
Although the high court’s interim order was to maintain law and order, police failed to remove protestors from the site. “We are losing Rs 2 crore daily due to stalled work. The protests hit us when we were cruising at a higher speed. We are here for development, and the project will change the face of south Bharat. The country will enjoy a crucial position on the global shipping map,” said CEO of the Adani Vizhinjam Port Pvt Limited Rajesh Jha.
The first ships were supposed to dock at Vizhinjam port towards the end of this year, but the church fanatics have spoiled Kerala’s plans for the future. When will the government act against such anti-nationals?
We know the Chinese gained from the closure of the Sterlite Copper plant near Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu. They also control the Hambantota International Port in neighboring Sri Lanka. The Koodankulam nuclear power plant that now provides energy to all states in south Bharat was also delayed by many years. Incidentally, the church was behind all these ‘protests.’ We also know the soft corner that local communists have for China. Another Vatican-Beijing partnership in the offing?
