ASIA/INDIA - Catholic Bishops of India appeal to the electorate to cast ‘responsible vote’ in April general elections

Wednesday, 10 March 2004

New Delhi (Fides Service) - An appeal to fulfil the duty to vote and to choose candidates who respect life, promote human dignity, social equality, religious harmony and national unity has been launched to the Catholics and all citizens of India by the Catholic Bishops in view of general elections on April 18. The appeal issued by the Catholic Bishops Conference of India, CBCI whose Bishop members guide the three different Catholic communities in the country, Latin, Syro-Malabar and Syro-Malankar, is signed by CBCI General Secretary Bishop Percival Joseph Fernandez, Auxiliary Bishop of Bombay.
“Every citizen of this country looks forward to having representatives and leaders who would lead the nation to greater levels of peace, harmony and prosperity. Every citizen is given a chance to exercise his power of choice ”, the Bishops say and they urge Christians and all believers in God “to fast and prayer for peaceful, fair and free elections through the country”, and every Catholic and all people of goodwill to “discharge with the utmost seriousness the civic duty placed on their shoulders”.
The appeal says “Every voter and the responsibility to vote for a person who:
- Respects life from womb to tomb as a precious masterpiece of God’s creation;
- Stands for and is led by values that promote human dignity, social equality, religious harmony and national integrity;
- Will protect the fundamental rights of all citizens as guaranteed in the Constitution of India;
- Will work for the overall development of the poor and the marginalised;
- Will preserve and promote social cohesion, communal harmony and cultural plurality;
- Will genuinely address social problems such as unemployment, discrimination against certain sectors of society and religious fundamentalism;
- Will endeavour to remove corrupt and unethical practices in all levels of society;
- Will work for the integral development of his/her constituency and at the same time keep the national perspective in mind;
- Will promote true religious values and will not exploit religion for sectarian and divisive purposes.”

In view of the elections Catholic lay people are working to increase awareness. The Lay Catholic Forum in Pondicherry, Tamil Nadu state in southern India, is distributing a memorandum in which it recalls the Social Teaching of the Church and reminds people that political Parties, like the Baratiya Janata Party (BJP), which promote Hindutva Hindu fundamentalist ideology are not acting for the good of the nation.
(PA) (Agenzia Fides, 10/3/2004 lines 39 words 375)


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