Tamil Nadu bishops ask PM to end harassment

(March 09, 2012) Catholic bishops in southern India’s Tamil Nadu state have expressed anguish over the government “witch hunt” and urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to stop harassing the Church for supporting protests against the nuclear power project in Kundakulam. "Pro-nature is our stand internationally. We request the prime minister to stop harassing the Christian community and withdraw the negative injunctions issued against Tuticorin diocese and grant appropriate relief," Archbishop A.M. Chinnappa, president of the Tamil Nadu Bishops’ Council, told a press conference in the state capital Chennai on Thursday. The federal Home Ministry last month ordered freezing of two bank accounts of Tuticorin diocese for violating the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act. A team from the ministry had raided the diocesan premises in January. Tuticorin diocese includes Kundakulam. Archbishop Chinnappa condemned the federal government’s attempts to brand the Church in Tamil Nadu as anti-national and said the “witch hunt” has pained the Christian community in the southern Indian state. “We strongly condemn these accusations and deny the allegations," Archbishop Chinnappa added. Bishop Yvon Ambroise of Tuticorin joined Archbishop Chinnappa in asserting that no one could stop the Church from giving moral support to those protesting the Koodankulam nuclear power project. They appealed state Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa to intervene and bring solace to Christians in Tamil Nadu. Bishop Ambroise accused the federal and state governments of giving a wrong impression that the Church could stop the protests. “But the villagers will go ahead with their protests even without us," he added. He expressed surprise over the sudden inspection into these societies that have been running for over 70 years.