ASIA/INDIA - Bishops tell voters to exercise their right to vote and defend democracy in India

New Delhi (Agenzia Fides) – In a delicate and decisive moment for the nation's history, each and every citizen “is called to exercise their right to vote,” confirming their support for a secular democracy that is pluralistic, as has characterized India's history, rejecting any form of ideological fundamentalism and violence. This is what the Indian Bishops are asking in their appeal to electors, which was recently signed by Secretary General of the Bishops' Conference, Bishop Stanislaus Fernandes.
The statement is addressed to all Indian citizens, on the eve of the Parliamentary elections that will take place next week in the most populous democracy on the planet (over 670 million voters).
The chances for both the Congress Party of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is of Hindu inspiration and is currently the minority in Parliament, however it does hold power in several of the country's states. The BJP, which is supported by many Hindu fundamentalist social groups, is on the lookout for a come-back, as at the end of 2008, about 100 million Indians in six states voted for members of Parliament, in a vote that swayed in favor of the Congress Party.
The Bishops' document focuses on the principles and values that every citizen is called to defend, recalling “the primacy of the person, his unalienable dignity and rights,” as well as the needed compromise of each one “for the common good.” The text also touches on various economic and social aspects, inviting voters to consider the solidarity and development of masses of people who today suffer in India for discrimination, unemployment, and marginalization.
The also remind the faithful of the defense of the democratic and secular identity of India, in regards to the Indian Constitution, “founded in an ethnic, religious, and cultural pluralism.”
The document concludes with a general invitation to responsibility on the part of every citizen in exercising his right to vote; in the defense of constitutional principles, equality, and human rights; in the fight against poverty and marginalization; in guaranteeing education and healthcare to all people; in promotion of the common good. There is also an explicit reference to the defense of religious and cultural minority rights, as is pertinent to the Christian community in India, and the common commitment to fight corruption. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 2/3/2009)