Explained | Pala bishop’s remarks trigger a furore

The sleepy town of Pala has begun boiling over in a mood of hostility with Muslim organisations and Christian groups mobilising and taking out protest marches.

In his address on the Eight day lent of Mary, Bishop Mar Joseph Kallarangatt set forth with terseness a growing sentiment among the Christians, especially catholics, across Central Travancore. The Bishop, who a couple of weeks agoto parishes warning young christian women of entrapment by fraudsters, came out in the open accusing a section of Muslims targeting Christians through love jihad and narcotic jihad. These groups, according to him, have cast their nets over places including schools, colleges, training centres and even commercial establishments and are using strategies that are bafflingly difficult to pin down.