Against the totally inhuman attitude of the Jesuits towards Fr. Pallath's hunger strike, necessitated by their willful violation of the terms of a signed agreement, human rights activists have decided to intensify the agitation. Tomorrow morning will see protest action by farmers organizations before St. Michael's school Kannur - a prestigious Jesuit institution. From tomorrow evening, several cultural organizations will jointly hold a night vigil before the seat of Jesuit power in Kerala - Christ Hall, Calicut. Meanwhile, several priests and religious under the banner of CPCI and Forum of Religious have decided to hold protest action before several Jesuit houses this weekend.

Since his unequivocal statement yesterday before the police commissioner, several organizations, including Yuvajanavedi, the Confederation of Human Rights Organizations of Kerala (CHRO), and the Swaraj movement have pledged support for Pallath's cause and urged the Jesuit authorities to see the writing on the wall and concede Fr. Pallath's just demands.

Jesuits mock a dying man

The only negotiator that Jesuit leaders in Kerala can trust is the police. Consequently, the chief negotiator for the Jesuits has become the police commissioner. For a Jesuit organisation claiming to be present for hundreds years in Kerala not to be able to find anyone to negotiate on their behalf, except the police commissioner, is itself a sad indictment of the religious order. Community leaders have been with Fr. Pallath, however, and it is they who have represented him.

The final offer of the Jesuit leaders was an insult added to injuryan offer to pay two month's rent! This deliberate mockery of the negotiations was a deliberate demonstration of their attitude that "we can care less what happens to Fr. Pallath."

The indications are that the Jesuit Authorities want Fr. Pallath to die. Why?

1. He has embarrassed the organisation too much, and his death will bring an end to this continuous embarrassment.
2. They have to insist that their organisation does not bow to pressure. The voice of the people has no place in it.
3. The Jesuits may talk about justice on matters outside of their organisation, but inside, they do not recognise such a principle. Even Fr. Arrupe, the former Jesuit superior general in Rome, was marginalised within the organisation in the latter part of his life due to his passionate interest in justice.
4. They cannot admit that they make mistakes. This is much different than the recent experience elsewhere in the Catholic Church. The pope himself has apologised several times for the wrongs committed by the Church in the past. On the issue of paedophile priests, some action has been taken. In the case of Fr. Tissa Balasuriya's excommunication, it was lifted within just one year. But the Jesuits are different. Based on a military style of leadership, if they take any action, they consider it valid forever. This is what the Rev. Gregory Naik, the Jesuit regional secretary for South Asia based in Rome, has essentially been writing to many people.
5. Fr. Pallath has filed several criminal cases against some Jesuits. Their sensitivity regarding these cases is evident when they constantly have requested the withdrawal of these complaints by Fr. Pallath. If the complainant dies, then the cases will not go to court.
6. There is the special Kerala factor too. In this state of India whose population is predominantly Catholic, the Church is part of the power structure. The Church, police and bureaucracy are well knitted together. The novel The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy exposes this unity, this "touchable solidarity." Moreover, the tradition is to completely crush any challenge that shakes this solidarity. In this novel, Velulha, a paravan, or low caste person is mercilessly beaten and killed by Kerala's touchable police to protect the touchable from embarrassment and challenges. Fr. Pallath too faces this same wall of blind and heartless prejudice.
7. There is nothing for the Jesuit leaders to gain by saving Fr. Pallath's life. However, they have many petty advantages to gain by his death. They want to have the last laugh, however short it may last!

By Basil Fernando, Executive Director, Asian Human Rights Commission