Kerala Bomb Blast: Who Are Jehovah’s Witnesses?

Three blasts at a Christian group's convention centre in Kerala's Kalamassery has sent shock waves across the country.

Even more surprising is that a man named Dominic Martinhas claimed responsibility for the attack and provided motives for it. The explosions took place at an international convention center in Kalamassery, where more than 2,000 Jehovah's Witnesses had gathered on the final day of their three-day prayer meeting.

In a viral video, Martin has accused the organization and its ideology of posing a danger to the country, advocating for its cessation within the state. He asserted that he had repeatedly urged the organization to rectify its teachings, but it remained unwilling to do so.

"As I had no other option, I took this decision," the man stated in the video

So, Who are The Jehovah's Witnesses?

It is a small group spread across the globe that traces its origins to 19th-century America. Historians note that Jehovah's Witnesses originated as an offshoot of the International Bible Students' Association, established by Charles Taze Russell in Pittsburgh in 1872.

In contrast to mainstream Christian beliefs in the Holy Trinity (God the Father, God the Son - Jesus, and God the Holy Spirit), Jehovah's Witnesses worship Jehovah as "the God of the Bible and the Creator of all things."

As per the group, Jesus Christ is not a God but the son of God. They learn from the teachings and examples set by Christ; hence they consider themselves Christians.

Stringent Social Norms

The group adheres to specific stringent social norms that prohibit blood transfusions and only permit married couples to divorce in the case of adultery.

Recognized for its decentralized framework, Jehovah's Witnesses function through local groups spanning different regions, characterized by an absence of central leadership.

How the community has responded to the attack?

The bomb blasts at their prayer gathering in Kalamassery have sent shockwaves, as they perceive their group to be inclusive and welcoming to individuals of all faiths and castes. "It is unprecedented," PTI quoted one of the members who attended the meeting as saying.

A man called Jose from Thiruvananthapuram expressed bewilderment over the attack, emphasising that the Witnesses' prayer meetings are inclusive and draw participants from diverse religious backgrounds.

Gatherings conducted biweekly at local 'Kingdom Halls' commonly start and end with songs and prayers.

In India, the community comprises 947 congregations with more than 56,000 committed ministers focused on sharing their interpretation of the Bible and fostering an awareness of God's kingdom, as detailed on the official jw.org website.

"We come from hundreds of ethnic and language backgrounds, yet we are united by common goals...Each of us regularly spends time helping people learn about the Bible and God's Kingdom," the website added.

Jose said though Jehovah's Witnesses is an organised group that has a presence in several countries across the world, there is no specific leader or leadership to point out at the state or district levels.

"We usually function as local groups in various places. We don't have a unified leadership. I can talk only about our group in our particular locality," he explained.

"Around 100-120 faithfuls will take part in our 'Kingdom Hall' in my area. We hold meetings twice a week. Similar prayer meetings are happening in various places across the state," he added.

On asking whether they hold state-level conventions of their members, he said Jehovah's Witnesses usually don't organise mass prayer meetings or gatherings. The prayer meeting held at the convention centre in Kochi on Sunday might have been a meeting of the local members. Another faithful of the Jehovah's Witnesses, who does not want to be named, said a body of elders supervises each congregation.

"There will be a 'mooppan' (senior man) to lead each group at the respective locality. Our prayer meetings are open to all people cutting across their caste, creed or religion," he told PTI.

Controversy

Three decades ago, Jehovah's Witnesses had hit the headlines when three children, who were part of the group, filed petitions in the courts, initially in the Kerala High Court and later in the Supreme Court. Their legal challenge was in response to the school authority's disciplinary action taken against them for purportedly showing disrespect to the national anthem.

However, the Supreme Court, in the August 1986, protected the three Jehovah's Witnesses children in the case of Bijoe Emmanuel & Ors vs State Of Kerala & Ors. They were excused from singing the national anthem at school, as the court ruled that compelling them violated their fundamental right to religion.