In a deliberate attempt to hurt the sentiments of Hindus and denigrate Hindu gods, Mar Athanasius College, Kothamangalam, in Kerala, a college run by Christian management, has published a college magazine, containing anti-Hindu articles about Sabarimala temple. The magazine presents a series of articles primarily based on the women entry in Sabarimala temple and portrays it as an achievement of Indian womanhood. The magazine also carries an article about an infamous Malayalam novel, titled ‘Meesha’, which depicted Hindu women visiting temples in a derogatory light.
While giving sermons on the topics pertaining to Hindu belief, the magazine made scant mention of the umpteen number of sex scandals and serious charges of gender discriminations and atrocities against women that rocked the Church in Kerala for the last several years. Five nuns belonging to the Missionaries of Jesus, had staged a sit-in protest against the rapist Bishop Franco Mulakkal in front of the High Court for more than one month. It was the first time in the history of India, a group of nuns came out publicly against the Church in protest of sexual harassment they face inside convents. The Church had transferred all the five nuns who staged the protest. Bishop Franco Mulakkal He is the first bishop in Indian Catholic history to be arrested for being accused in a rape case. The case was registered after the repeated complains of a nun from Kerala who charged the Bishop of rape.
The magazine, which focused on the theme of ‘gender justice’, did not carry a single article about the landmark legislation for gender justice, Triple Talaq bill. The Hindu Aikya Vedi has organised a march to the college, protesting against the college management’s deliberate attempts to denigrate Lord Ayyappa, Sabarimala temple traditions and Hindus at large. After the protest march of Hindu Aikya Vedi, the college principal issued a note today, in which he said that the magazine was withdrawn.
However, the college principal had early taken the responsibility of the defamatory contents published in the magazine. The college management has yet to issue an apology for hurting the sentiments of the Hindu community.
