Be mindful of communal, fascist forces, Goa church body warns ahead of elections

PANAJI: Expressing concern over the situation around the country as well as in the state, the Council for Social Justice and Peace, the social outreach arm of the church in Goa, has called on voters to cast their ballots wisely, keeping in mind the misuse of religion for political purposes, the degradation of the environment and the politics of defection.

“We are confronted with intolerance, misuse of law enforcing agencies to suppress opponents, complete control of the mainstream media, presumed monopoly on truth, draconian laws, federalism under challenge, legislations being bulldozed, and the farmers’ struggle for justice. Every issue is sought to be projected in polarised terms,” the council said in an advisory to the people of Goa that was circulated via churches earlier this month.

While the advisory did not name any party, it seemed to be targeting the state’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party as well as new entrants Aam Aadmi Party and Trinamool Congress.

“There have been attacks on weaker sections, and on minorities under the pretext of forcible conversions. Prayer services of various faiths, including Christmas celebrations, were disrupted and educational institutions attacked. There have been shocking calls for genocide,” read the note titled Reflect, Pray and Vote.

The advisory, seen as a reflection of the thinking of the church leadership, also called on voters in general to be wary of “parties with national ambitions (that are) here to increase their vote percentages, so as to gain national recognition, even by recklessly splitting secular votes.”

“We should be mindful of the possibility of communal and fascist forces camouflaging behind the labels of political alternatives,” the CSJP said.

CSJP issues advisories before each election, reminding voters, especially Christians, of their constitutional duty to make their voice heard via their vote which is “a two-way responsibility, both of the electorate as well as of the candidates.”

“On our part, we need to look not only at the candidate but also at her/his party. Large corporations often colonise (remote-control) through political entities. Money and freebees are distributed and unfortunately many people accept them. These offer no solution for unemployment, for escalating prices and homelessness. We have grave local issues concerning degradation of our environment which have to be addressed by appropriate legislation,” CSJP said.

“We should elect the right people, rather than electing the wrong people and blaming them. In our first few assemblies, we elected respectable persons who enjoyed high credibility. Nowadays, we want to elect people who are at our beck and call, to serve our purposes, even if they are illegal,” the note added.

“We have joined the mainstream of national life long back. We need to remain in the national mainstream in a dispensation which is stable and secular,” CSJP said.