Kerala Assembly polls 2026: Latin Catholic community seeks concrete action beyond release of J.B. Koshy panel report

Towards the fag end of the current Left Democratic Front (LDF) government’s term, the Cabinet decided to publish the report of the J.B. Koshy Commission appointed to study the educational, economic, and welfare issues of Christian minorities in Kerala. It was a partial fulfilment of the long-standing demands of the Latin Catholic community, which can play a decisive role in the election results in several constituencies in Kerala’s coastal regions.

However, the publication of the report alone might not be sufficient to sway a large number of voters, as a host of other issues can come into play in these regions. Father Eugene H. Pereira, vicar general of the Latin Catholic Church, tells The Hindu that though the report is comprehensive and prepared with a realistic approach, concrete steps are yet to be taken. Any government which comes to power needs to take it up on priority, he says.

“The coastal region from Kasaragod to Thiruvananthapuram is facing major crises related to climate change as well as unscientific construction activities. Sea erosion and fall in fish catch have all made life difficult for the coastal population. The so-called blue economy policies and the proposals for extraction of minerals could also change the coastal ecosystem in the future. Both the Union and the State governments have not taken any major steps to prevent accidents at sea in which many fish workers have lost their lives,” says Father Pereira.

Vizhinjam port

He says that a new generation of politically conscious youth and women in the coastal areas have now come forward articulating these issues in their local communities, which could influence their voting patterns. In the coastal areas of Thiruvananthapuram, he says that the impact of the Vizhinjam International Seaport is yet to be felt in the local economy, while the basic allied infrastructure required for the port is yet to be completed.

The Kerala Region Latin Catholic Council (KRLCC), the apex body of the Latin Catholic community of around 15 lakh people spread across 12 dioceses, had last year decided to form political affairs committees at the local level to forcefully put forward its demands and coordinate its activities. The council has also presented a charter of demands to the major political parties. KRLCC vice- president Joseph Jude says that the council’s charter includes several long-standing demands related to education, employment, healthcare and reservation parity.

Munambam issue

The State government was relieved when the relay hunger strike by families in Munambam in Ernakulam district over land claimed by the Waqf Board came to an end late last year. The LDF has been hoping that the issue will no longer impact electoral choices of the people in the region. However, Mr. Jude says that though the government has claimed to have solved the issue, it is yet to be felt in a more practical sense. Coastal protection also remains a major concern.

“Though the government has completed the first phase of sea wall construction at Chellanam, the second stretch is yet to take off. Beach nourishment activities as part of the first phase has also not been taken up. Issues faced by people who are forced to move away from the coast due to various reasons also need to be considered as land prices are lowest in the coast and goes further up as they move inland,” says Mr. Jude.