Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
New Delhi (Agenzia Fides) – The first voting turn has ended, and with a large participation and a few incidents, Indian voters await the second phase of the long process that, in a month's time, will conclude the vote for the Lower House of India's Parliament. Violence and attacks have caused about 20 deaths, mainly in the states of the northeastern region of the country, which is an area marked by tensions on account of the groups of separatists, Maoist guerrillas, and ethnic violence.
In the first round, those voting were from the states of Kerala, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Chhattisgarh, Andaman and Nicobar, Laccadive, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Maharashtra, Manipur, Orissa and Jharkhand. The percentage of voter turnout was between 60-70%.
Even the citizens from Kandhamal, in Orissa, who have suffered anti-Christian attacks in recent months, went out to vote. There are still over 50,000 Christians there who are living in refugee camps. In recent days, appeals were made for a postponing of the vote, considering the situation of the camp that does still not allow free exercise of personal freedom, given the influence of the Hindu fundamentalist groups that are terrorizing Christian families. The vote in the area has taken place without major problems and without violence, however the Hindu gunmen have threatened Christians, trying to force them to vote for the Hindu nationalist party, the Baratiya Janata Party.
As the local Church informs, only 3,000 of the refugees in the government-run camps could vote, while the other 50,000 who abandoned the area to flee violence have not been able to. In this case, the government has failed to guarantee every citizen the possibility of freely expressing their vote as is called for in a democratic system. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 20/04/2009)
