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William Joseph Richards has relied on the fabricated version about the Synod of Diamper. Diamper

St. Thomas Christians oppose the decisions of the Synod of Diamper to claim higher caste status on par with Nairs and Nambbodiris. It is quite puzzling that they are citing Hindu rituals that are being followed by Christians even today to reinforce their claim of Namboodiri status. But there are two features of upper castes that are conspicuously absent in Syrian community to claim upper caste status at the time of the Synod. The Nairs practised matrinelal system and their line of descent was traced from the common female ancestress, and it was not a man's own children, but his sister's sons who were his heirs. Syrian Christians at the time of the Synod were not practicing matrinileal system because they were all converts from various unouchable castes and subcastes. So there is no reference to it in the decision of the Synod. Nambudiri Brahmins are called dvijas meaning "twice born". A Nambudiri is born once in the womb of his mother and again during the Upanayana when he learns the Gayatri Mantra. It is at this stage the sacred thread or poonool ceremony is conducted and Nambudiri boys were allowed to wear the thread. Since the Syrians at the time of the Synod were not having matrineleal system they were not Nair converts and since the Syrians were not wearing sacred thread they were not Nambudiris. So it goes without saying that all the decisions of the Synod were to remove the evil customs, beliefs and rituals of untouchable Hindus which were being followed by Syrian Christians because they were untouchable converts. . Pariahs and Pulayas believed in transmigration and they offer even today flowers and sacrifices (vavu bali) to dead souls thinking they would continue to bless them in transmigrated status .Exorcism, astrology, marriage customs are similar to Hindu Pariahs and Pulayas and that is why the Synod wanted to civilize Syrian Christians. Christians were asked to believe in resurrection and not transmigration. Christians were advised to pray to God to bless everyday and not to look for Rahu Kal before beginning their work. In dress, Hindu women were not allowed to cover their breasts, and that was the common practice not merely of untouchables from whom Syrians were converted, but even among caste Hindus such as Nambbodiris and Nairs. When Syrian immigrants married lower caste women, they were almost naked except a small piece of loin cloth to cover the genital area. So, like the Arab immigrants in Malabar who clothed their untouchable wives, Christian immigrant also stitched a collarless shirt called Chatta (Tamil word for shirt) and a long piece of single cloth to cover the bottom portion from navel to calf called Mundu ( a Tamil word for dhoty) and the excess cloth was not cut off to avoid waste but frilled and tucked at the back. . Most of the maid servants and poor women in huts all over Kerala wear chatta and mundu, since they cannot afford a sari. Arab immigrants gave their untouchable wives of Malabar a chatta with sleeves known as kuppayam and a shawl (Moplahs). The Synod wanted to civilize Syrian Christians because they wee all from untouchable castes. In the initial stage, a few West Asia immigrants would have married some untouchable women, like Anglo-Indians, but at a later stage it was mass marriage among untouchables who had become Christians. That is why they retained all the rituals of untouchable Hindus. Read Thurston’s customs. beliefs, marriage (Tali tying) of untouchables such as Pariahs, Pulayas, Mukkuvas, Kuravas and Ezhavas. Then we will understand how the Synod wanted to civilize , modernise, and above all, Christianize the Syrians who came from that stock. Archdeacon George and his nephew Thomas wanted to retain Church properties and finance under their personal control. So they instigated the illiterate Christian masses to rise agains Archbishop Menzes who wanted to regulate church adminstration and revnue by keeping proper records like othe Churches in Kochi area. Today there is a trend among a small group of Syrians to steal the identity cards of Namboodiris and Nairs to claim superior caste status, and with this sinister motive they attack the Synod decisions and the good deeds of Archbishop Menzes. False identity claiming Namboodirii and Nair caste will boomerang, for Nairs and Nambbodiris do not accept Syrians as converted from their castes. They ridicule and pooh-pooh these insane claims, ignoring historical and demographic evidences.

- March 30, 2012St.Thomas Christians and the Synod