Thiruvananthapuram: The Syro-Malabar Church Commission has strongly condemned Kesari, the mouthpiece of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in Kerala, for publishing an article under the name of Hindu Aikya Vedi State Vice President E. S. Binu. The Commission said the article is “deeply misleading, historically false, and deliberately intended to destroy the peace and harmony of Kerala.”
The Commission noted that the article levels outrageous accusations against Christians, branding them as “anti-national,” blaming them for the destruction of Indian languages and culture, and even going so far as to suggest that the Indian Constitution should be abolished. “These are dangerous falsehoods which undermine the very spirit of India’s secular democracy,” the statement read.
The Syro Malabar Commission reminded that India, in 1947, made a conscious choice to remain a secular, pluralistic republic, unlike Pakistan, which became a religious state. “It is tragic that organizations like the RSS and its affiliates are now working to undo that decision by equating Indian nationalism with one religion,” the statement said.
Citing incidents such as the brutal killing of missionary Graham Staines and his two children in Odisha, the Kandhamal riots of 2008, and the murders of Christian workers, including Father Arul Das and Sister Rani Maria, the Commission warned that propaganda of this nature fuels hatred that leads directly to violence. “Is E. S. Binu attempting to rival Goebbels in spreading the ‘big lie’? The consequences of such lies are written in the blood of innocents,” it added.
The statement further addressed the repeated RSS criticism of Christian institutions receiving foreign aid. “If Hindu gurus and organizations can freely build temples, preach, and receive donations abroad, on what grounds can Christians or any other religious minority be denied the same rights within India? When yoga and Ayurveda are exported worldwide, is that an attack on foreign cultures? Why then is Christian education and aid treated as a threat?”
The Commission highlighted the immense contributions of Christian missionaries to India’s social and cultural progress. Figures such as William Carey, who preserved and promoted Indian languages like Bengali and Sanskrit, and Samuel Henry Kellogg, author of "A Grammar of the Hindi Language" (1876) and regarded as the father of modern Hindi, played crucial roles in India’s linguistic and educational history. Christian missions were also instrumental in abolishing Sati, child marriage, and untouchability, while championing women’s education and the welfare of marginalized communities. In the 19th century alone, missionaries produced 85 dictionaries, 116 grammar books, and 45 newspapers, laying the foundations for literacy and social reform.
“To label such a community as anti-national is not only baseless but an insult to history itself,” the Commission said, adding that the RSS has yet to demonstrate a comparable record in social service, education, or linguistic development.
Concluding its statement, the Syro-Malabar Commission warned that hate cannot unite a nation. “A society built on division and falsehood will collapse under the weight of its own lies. Kesari must answer one question: what exactly is it thinking when it spreads such poisonous narratives? India’s secular fabric must be defended, and truth—not propaganda—will ultimately safeguard the soul of the nation.”