Kochi: In a strongly worded rebuke, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI) Laity Council has accused the Kerala state government of willfully deceiving the Christian community by withholding the Justice J.B. Koshy Commission report for over two years. The Commission, constituted to evaluate the economic and social backwardness of the Christian minorities in Kerala and to propose viable welfare measures, had submitted its comprehensive findings on May 17, 2023. However, the report remains locked away from public access, raising serious concerns about transparency and political intent.
Chevalier Adv. V.C. Sebastian, Secretary of the CBCI Laity Council, lambasted the state administration, claiming that it is orchestrating a “deliberate betrayal” of Christian citizens by sitting on a document born out of two-and-a-half years of meticulous research. “Only a single chapter containing the recommendations has been leaked. The rest, which includes critical observations and data-backed policy suggestions, is being mysteriously suppressed,” he said.
The Commission’s work was anything but superficial it spanned numerous public hearings across the state, directly collecting over 5 lakh submissions from Christian individuals and organizations. It presented an in-depth look into the real-life hardships faced by marginalized Christian communities, especially those living in Kerala’s coastal belts and hilly terrains. These findings, Sebastian noted, reflect the wider socioeconomic neglect of not just Christians but of various underrepresented groups across the state.
He further alleged a political-bureaucratic nexus behind the suppression of the report. “This isn’t just administrative apathy it’s a systematic move to sabotage the community’s rightful access to justice and development,” he asserted.
The CBCI Laity Council has warned against any attempts by the government to deflect attention or buy time by forming another ‘expert committee’ under the pretext of further study, especially with the general elections looming. “This is not the time for political gimmicks. The Christian community demands action, not appeasement,” Sebastian emphasized.
The Council has demanded immediate publication of the entire J.B. Koshy Commission Report and the timely rollout of welfare schemes based on its recommendations. Should the state government continue to remain evasive, the Laity Council has indicated that legal intervention would be pursued to ensure justice is served.
“The people have a constitutional right to know. Suppressing a publicly-funded commission’s report is a betrayal not just of Christians, but of democracy itself,” Adv. Sebastian concluded.