Worried about alleged attempts by various regressive forces to hamper community harmony and religious friendship in Kerala, members of various Christian organizations in the Diocese of Thamarassery lined up for a mass rally and convention at Kodenchery in the Kozhikode district on Saturday.

The rally which called on members of the community to be more vigilant in protecting their faith and practices saw strong protests against some recent incidents which sparked new debates and arguments about the so-called “jihad of the ‘love’ and forced conversions in the state.

The Bishop of Thamarassery, Remigiose Inchananiyil, who opened the public convention after the rally, said some regressive elements had deliberately tried to conceal the contributions of the Christian community to society. He urged the faithful to identify these forces, including individuals and organizations, to fight for justice.

A large number of settler farmers swearing allegiance to the Indian farmers’ movement and members of various Christian organizations such as the Catholic Congress, Kerala Catholic Youth Movement, Mathruvedi and the Mission League showed up at the convention. There were also delegates from various parishes in the northern districts of Kerala. The secretary of the coordination committee, Chacko Kalamparambil, chaired the event.