Indian archbishop’s overture to PM Modi’s party draws flak

Some may want to extend the benefit of the doubt to the archbishop who justified his comments as righteous indignation at government apathy towards the travails of Syro-Malabar Catholic farmers. But I was wondering if the bishop wants to or will speak for ALL Catholics (at least in Kerala) at the receiving end of state apathy. There is a set of Catholics worthy of passionate defence in Kerala itself - the predominantly Latin coastal communities and fishing workers. The coastal Latin Catholics have been historically marginalized by caste discrimination from caste elites, including the Syrian Catholic Christians. At present, their ways of life and livelihood are threatened by the degradation of marine ecosystems and coastal erosion — both results of climate change and mindless 'development' (development for whom?). Governmental apathy to the existential threat they're facing is as grave (if not more) as that of the Syro-Malabar farmers. One only has to travel along the coastline from Thumba to Anjuthengu in Kerala to see the precarity of coastal lives. Only compound walls separate the houses of marginalized Catholic (and other) fishing families from the roaring seas. What strikes you instantly are the Bible verses painted onto the compound walls of Latin Catholics. For sure, they know that their faith is the only refuge and succour in the face of centuries of state and societal indifference to their sufferings. If anyone wants to bring party politics to the equation here, we all saw how the supposed arch-rivals (BJP and CPM) came together to hound the protestors of Vizhinjam. So the question I ask is simple: Will the prelate speak with the same passion and ostensible sincerity for the historically marginalized coastal Catholic communities too? Or would he rather not antagonise the BJP, who also shares his antipathy towards the Muslim 'Other'? I mean, history has no dearth of examples of UNHOLY alliances between Catholic priests and fascist forces — Jozef Gašpar Tiso being only one example. Or will that favourite figleaf of KCBC — the technicality of 'rite' differences between Syro-Malabar and Latin denominations at play in crucial junctures like the Franco Mulakkal rape case — cloud his judgment too? Given the recent history, it appears that as long as their (caste-class) interests are met, these spiritual merchants WILL NOT mind the injustices meted out to other Catholics (like the Dalit Catholic priest-cum-theologian Stan Swamy or any other marginalized Indian Catholics, including those persecuted by the Sangh Parivar). When caste-class interests are at stake, the Syro-Malabar definition of 'marginalised Catholics' shrinks considerably in scope. Instead of the Bible, which they swear by every day of their lives, these prelates resemble fixers playing by the rulebook of slick politicians. So, in the current state of things, aside from token statements (if at all), there is no hope for real and meaningful solidarity from most Syrian Catholic prelates to the struggles and pains of Latin and Dalit Catholics, non-Catholic Christians or non-Christian minorities in contemporary India. Certainly, such hypocrisy, callousness and selfishness were the traits of a certain species the Nazarene of Galilee identified in his lifetime. He had used the most prescient of metaphors to describe them -- 'offspring of vipers' (Matt 3:7) and 'whitewashed tombs' (Matt 23:27)!