Kolkata: Church letter fight spills over

KOLKATA: Three former bishops of the Diocese of Kolkata, Church of North India (CNI), and eight others have written an open letter against the Synod, the highest decision-making body of CNI.
The letter blames the Synod of corruption, coercion and high-handedness and seeks justice. The present administration has rubbished the letter.
Moderator of the CNI, P C Singh, however, said these allegations were “false”.These people “cannot accept their retirement or the charges that have been levelled against them. We are not bothered about such letters. There are rules we follow and no one is above law. We are not bothered about such open letters,” Singh said from Delhi.
Former bishops PSP Raju, Ashoke Biswas and Probal Dutta are among 11 signatories. Incidentally, both Biswas and Dutta had been removed by the Synod from their positions in quick successions. They had then moved court.
The letter says that the constitution of the CNI has been “amended by unscrupulous power mongers”. It has become a norm to “unceremoniously” remove bishops, the letter says. “The CNI cannot be treated as the personal property of the Synod,” it has been said. The signatories claimed that those who raise their voices are transferred or forced to resign.
The signatories also claimed that church property was being sold for accumulation of wealth and denounced such practices.