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Vote to strengthen Secularism, Says Council |
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Tuesday, 08 May 2001 |
Five states of South and East India go to the polls this week to elect their Legislative Assemblies. Considerable significance is attached to these elections, which will decide the future of important members of the Bharatiya-Janata Party led National Democratic Alliance, as also of the national Opposition party, the Congress, and the Left Front.
The Christian community has held Democracy, and elections through universal franchise which refresh and renew democratic institutions, to be divine blessings, and the casting of vote a sacred duty of the citizen.
In its meeting in January this year in Chennai, the All India Christian Council had expressed its deep concern at the continuing communalization of the body politic, various instruments of state as well as the Human Resource Development sector. This process of communalization of the national civil environment continues. President K R Narayanan in his national address earlier this year had himself expressed concern at attempted subversion of Democracy, Parliament and universal franchise.
The country is faced with the twin challenges of an ultimatum by communal and fascist forces, and the untold misery unleashed by unbridled globalisation and privatisation. At stake are the future of the democratic and secular polity as well as the welfare of the poor, and that of the marginalized sections.
The Christians have in the last three years suffered the worst form of sustained violence in their 2,000-year-old existence on Indian soil. Almost 500 cases of various forms of violence have been recorded by secular Human rights organisations. These include rape of Nuns, murder of Priests, Evangelists and Priests, attacks on Convents, schools and other Institutions. Others are being coerced into silence or forced to close and withdraw from social work among the poor and the deprived. People in government, including Ministers, have made blasphemous statements against all that the Christians hold to be Holy. Two years later, the criminals still go unpunished. Dara Singh and several of his associates involved in the burning alive of leprosy medical missionary Graham Stuart Staines and his sons Timothy and Philip, Fr Arul Das, brother George and others remain unpunished, the pace of investigation and prosecution excruciatingly slow.
We urge the Election Commission of India to take urgent steps to ensure that the hate campaigns and communal rantings of front and 'sister' organisations of some political parties be also brought within the purview of the Election law and made an election malpractice, to disbar candidates who are tainted by hate for fellow Indians.
The people of India know who to chose to represent the secular ethos of India's history as a free nation.
The voters must keep in mind that India's unity and integrity depend on the strength of its plural culture. This just be defended at all cost by rejecting candidates and political parties with even a remote connection to Communal and fundamentalist forces.
The All India Christian Council endorses the following tenets: - Reject parties and candidates who form alliances with communal forces.
- Support candidates who promise a secular and democratic India, universal franchise, protection of the Constitution, and respect for the sacrifice of those who fought for India's freedom from Colonial rule.
- Reject candidates tainted by corruption, criminal record, nepotism and moral turpitude.
- Vote without fear. Every vote matters
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