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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 CHENNAI 000104 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O.  12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PTER PHUM KDEM IN
SUBJECT:  BHARAT BALLOT 09: KERALA CATHOLIC LEADERS URGE FLOCK TO 
VOTE AGAINST COMMUNISTS 
 
REF:  2008 Chennai 021 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary:  During Sunday services Catholic priests across 
Kerala read a pastoral letter to their congregants that essentially 
told them to vote against the Communist Party of India (Marxist) 
(CPM) and its allies in the Left Democratic Front (LDF).  The 
pastoral letter was just the latest in an ongoing feud between the 
Church and the state government since the CPM took charge in 2006. 
The CPM, which is already struggling with internal dissent and 
popular discontent in the run-up to elections, now faces the 
possibility of losing Catholic voters -- a key swing constituency in 
Kerala.  End Summary 
 
Kerala Christians an influential minority 
----------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) Kerala has one of the highest proportions of Christians in 
India:  nineteen percent of Kerala's thirty-two million people are 
Christian.  Kerala has three major Christian communities, each with 
its roots in a different era of religious conversion.  The oldest 
traces its origins to first century AD churches established by St. 
Thomas, the second to conversions by Portuguese missionaries during 
the sixteenth century, and the third to conversions during the 
British period.  The oldest of the three groups, known as "Syrian 
Christians," wields much economic and political clout and runs a 
large number of educational institutions in the state.  The later 
groups are largely made up of former members of the backward castes 
and continue to benefit from the state's affirmative action 
policies.  Together, Christians constitute a major swing vote in 
Kerala, a state known for its tendency to alternate between Congress 
and Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led coalitions. 
 
We interrupt this service for an important political message 
----------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) On March 29, Catholic priests across Kerala read a pastoral 
letter issued by the Kerala Catholic Bishops Conference (KCBC) 
during Sunday services.  Signed by the top leaders of Kerala's three 
major divisions of the Catholic Church (the Latin, the Syrian, and 
Syro-Malankara rites) the letter was described as "an appeal to the 
electorate" and urged Catholics to vote against those "who thrust 
atheistic beliefs and violent confrontationist politics," an 
indirect but clear reference to Kerala's ruling CPM and the LDF. 
The letter also reminded the laity of the ongoing conflict between 
the Catholic Church and the CPM-led state government over control of 
religious educational institutions by mentioning the "continuing 
violations of minority rights in the Education sector" (reftel). 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Catholic schools have been a flashpoint between the Church 
and the CPM-led LDF since it took power in 2006.   The government 
tried to bring private professional colleges under state control, 
evoking sharp criticism from the Church.  The CPM's student wing, in 
turn, staged violent protests at some of the colleges.  The conflict 
subsided after a court struck down the contentious provisions of the 
government's legislation but flared up again when reports surfaced 
that the government planned to assert the right to appoint teachers 
in "aided schools" -- private schools (including many church 
schools) where the government pays teacher salaries.  Government 
officials justified the move on the grounds that appointments are 
the source of considerable corruption with school management 
requiring prospective teachers to pay bribes to secure positions. 
The private schools responded by saying the government move was 
simply a punitive measure meant to curtail churches' long held 
privilege to appoint teachers.  Tempers flared with a Syrian 
Christian Cardinal reportedly saying the Church would not allow the 
"drunkards and atheists" appointed by the leftist government to 
teach in its schools.  The State Education Minister retorted by 
noting that even liquor shops are subject to more regulation than 
religious schools. 
 
¶5. (SBU) The reading of the pastoral letter just weeks before the 
parliamentary elections caused concern in the Kerala CPM, prompting 
the Finance Minister to write a newspaper opinion piece in response. 
 He wrote that many priests went beyond just reading the pastoral 
letter and instead specifically urged parishioners to vote only for 
candidates from the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF).  In 
an effort to mitigate the impact of the letter, the CPM Minister 
argued that the pastoral letter does not apply to his party because, 
 
CHENNAI 00000104  002 OF 002 
 
 
although its leaders are atheists, they do not thrust their beliefs 
on others as the pastoral letter alleged. 
 
¶6. (SBU) As feared by the CPM, Catholics in some parts of Kerala 
have begun to campaign vigorously against the LDF.  For example, 700 
parishioners from across 14 parishes in north Kerala organized a 
"study class" on the need to "vote responsibly."  A priest 
inaugurating the meeting said that "if the shepherds are struck, the 
sheep would be scattered," reminding the gathered parishioners of 
the CPM's attempts to denigrate church leaders.  In some heavily 
Catholic localities, squads of Catholic volunteers are reportedly 
campaigning against Leftist candidates. 
 
Pastoral letter takes on BJP too 
----------------------- 
 
¶7. (SBU) The pastoral letter also referred to the 2002 Gujarat riots 
and the 2008 attacks on Christians in Orissa, urging Catholics to 
vote for those parties which treat all religions impartially, 
protect religious minorities, and ensure fundamental human rights 
for all.  In a reference to the attacks in Orissa, the letter 
stressed the need to elect politicians who protect the rights of 
women, tribals and Dalit Christians.  Although the letter did not 
specifically name the BJP, the references to BJP-led Gujarat and 
Orissa, where a former BJP ally commands power, were easily 
understood in Kerala to be a criticism of the Hindu nationalist 
party. 
 
Comment:  more bad news for Kerala CPM 
----------------------- 
 
¶8. (SBU) Comment:  Although the Kerala church has regularly offered 
gentle guidance to its flock during election seasons, the pastoral 
letter was unusually direct in exhorting Catholics to oppose those 
"who thrust atheistic beliefs and violent confrontationist 
politics."  Every Catholic listening on March 29 knew exactly what 
it meant:  that they should vote against the CPM and its LDF allies. 
 The decision of the Catholic Church to involve itself so directly 
in the election is consistent with Indian political tradition where 
leaders of religious groups (and caste groups) have had few qualms 
about aligning themselves with one party or another.  Although most 
Kerala Catholics will still vote on the basis of their own political 
convictions (and many will thus vote for LDF candidates), the CPM 
obviously worries that some of these key swing votes will be swayed 
by the clerics' argument that good Catholics should vote against the 
leftists.  The fight with the Catholic Church is yet another problem 
that the struggling CPM does not need just weeks before Kerala goes 
to the polls.  End Comment. 
SIMKIN