Kochi: In a strongly worded statement, the Catholic Congress has denounced the Forest Department’s actions in Thommankuth as a “criminal offence” and “an attack on faith,” following the registration of a case against local parishioners for installing and praying at a cross situated on church owned land. The organization accused both the Forest Department and the state government of colluding in a targeted campaign against the Christian community.
At the heart of the controversy lies a cross that was placed by faithful parishioners on a plot of land that has reportedly been under the Church’s possession for several decades. Despite this, the Forest Department filed legal action claiming unauthorized use of land within its jurisdiction. However, the Catholic Congress contends that the area in question falls well outside forest boundaries, as per reports from the Revenue Department the authority responsible for classifying land in Kerala.
Calling the government’s stance “deeply offensive and unlawful,” the Catholic Congress demanded the immediate withdrawal of what it calls a “false and fabricated case.” The organization warned that this incident is not an isolated administrative issue but part of a larger pattern of institutional aggression against the Christian community in the state.
“Encroachment under the guise of environmental governance cannot become a justification to trample on the religious rights of believers,” the statement read. “The act of charging peaceful parishioners who prayed before a holy cross erected on longstanding church land is not only illegal, it is sacrilegious.”
The Catholic Congress took particular aim at what it called the “parallel administration” of the Forest Department, accusing it of overriding the authority of the Revenue Department and creating a lawless environment in Kerala’s highland regions. “When the department responsible for land classification says this is not forest land, how can the Forest Department unilaterally claim control?” asked a senior leader from the group.
The statement further alleged that the region is witnessing the rise of an unofficial regime run by forest officials, who are allegedly acting without accountability even in areas where forest laws do not apply.
Escalating the tone of the protest, the Catholic Congress alleged that the case against Thommankuth parishioners is part of an organized attempt to vilify the Christian community. “This is a deliberate conspiracy to depict believers as lawbreakers. It raises serious questions about whether shadowy interests possibly land mafias are using the machinery of the state to convert salable land into forest zones under the pretext of conservation,” the group warned. They further suggested that these acts are motivated by economic interests, with powerful entities allegedly manipulating land classification for access to forest-related funding and grants.
The Catholic Congress cautioned the state government that suppressing religious practices and targeting a community based on its faith could lead to serious backlash. “If the authorities continue to trample on the religious sentiments of Christians, it will provoke consequences that extend far beyond Thommankuth,” the statement warned.
The organization made it clear that if the case against the local parishioners is not withdrawn immediately, it will launch a state-wide protest. “The Catholic Congress is prepared to organize demonstrations across Kerala. We will not stand idle while our faith is criminalized and our people are harassed.”
As tensions mount, all eyes now turn to the state administration’s response. With growing support from various community leaders and civil rights activists, the demand for justice in Thommankuth may soon escalate into a larger movement against what many view as creeping authoritarianism and selective religious targeting in the state’s governance.