HRSS to maintain equidistance in Lok Sabha poll in Idukki

March 18, 2024 07:54 pm | Updated 07:54 pm IST - IDUKKI

The High Range Samrakshana Samithy (HRSS), an umbrella organization of various religious groups under the Catholic Church formed for the protection of farmers’ interests, will adopt a stance of ‘samadooram’, maintaining equal distance from all political parties in the upcoming Lok Sabha election.

HRSS played an influential role in the 2014 parliamentary election when the Left Democratic Front (LDF) backed Joice George, won with a significant margin of over 50,000 votes.

Fr. Sebastian Kochupurakal, the general convener of HRSS, confirmed to The Hindu that HRSS will maintain a ‘samadooram’ stance in the parliamentary election. “HRSS members are free to cast their votes as they wish. The people in the district are clearly aware of the local issues,” said Fr. Kochupurakal.

However, M.V. Govindan, the State secretary of the CPI(M), hoped that HRSS’s ‘samadooram’ stance would be favourable to the LDF.

Before the parliamentary election in 2014, Idukki witnessed protests from farmers against the implementation of the Madhav Gadgil and Kasturirangan committee reports. These protests led to the defeat of the UDF candidate, Dean Kuriakose, in the traditionally UDF-held seat. Former Idukki Bishop Mar Mathew Anikkuzhikkatil and the Idukki diocese openly supported the LDF candidate.

HRSS was also active in the 2015 local body election and fielded candidates under the LDF’s banner. Around 70 members won under the movement’s banner. However, after assuming office, Mar John Nellikunnel, the Bishop of Idukki, urged priests within the Idukki diocese to refrain from participating in election-related propaganda, statements, and meetings.

This decision was made before the last parliamentary election. In the previous Lok Sabha election, HRSS had minimal presence. The group had announced its support for Joice George, who had contested again for the Idukki seat. However, UDF candidate Dean Kuriakose defeated him by a considerable margin. In the last local body election, HRSS decided not to field any candidates under its banner.

The Idukki diocese is protesting against the State government over issues including wild animal attacks. Last week, the diocese organized a protest rally and march at Poopara in Idukki, demanding a proper solution to the recurring wild animal attacks.

According to sources, previously the protests were carried out by the Idukki diocese under the HRSS banner, but after the new bishop assumed office, the protests were conducted under the banner of the All Kerala Catholic Congress (AKCC) and Kerala Catholic Youth Movement (KCYM) within the church.