Goa: Reject terror of pseudo-nationalism, preserve secular values, says Church

PANAJI

: The Catholic church in Goa on Tuesday called upon the people to vote judiciously for the general elections and byelections to the state assemblies and said the claims of ‘no corruption and ‘scam-free governance’ have become totally hollow.


In a two-page advisory—Vote Wisely, Vote Smartly—the church asked the people to preserve “our freedom and the secular values” and reject the “terror of pseudo-nationalism”. “Clean and decisive governance does not require oppression, fascism and terror tactics,” it said.

Without taking any names of political parties or candidates, the advisory said people should reflect whether basic principles of tolerance, inclusiveness, justice, transparency and accountability are visible.

“When rightful and timely information is denied, reports and surveys tweaked to suppress inconvenient facts, critical dissent crushed by labelling it as anti-national and as urban naxalism, when hoodlums run riot on streets in the guise of nationalism—the defensive counter claims of ‘no corruption’ and ‘scam-free governance’ become totally hollow,” it said.

Pointing to the press conference by senior most judges of the Supreme Court, the church said the curtailing of autonomy of educational and other public institutions, capturing of media, cow vigilantism, “the paranoia about love jihad” and other forms of extremism needs to be assessed.

“Critics, opponents, dissenters and pro-poor activists being jailed using the law of sedition, which was the tool of erstwhile colonial powers, is an equally serious matter for consideration,” it said.

In a state with around 27% Christian population, the church also came down heavily on the way disparate parties came together to form a coalition government in Goa and the spate of defections where two MLAs elected on Congress ticket quit the party and assembly membership to join BJP.

“Another evil is the blatant engineering of defections in violation of people’s mandate. Moreover, persons who deceive and betray people’s trust should have no scope in democracy. Let us also give corrupt defectors and opportunists the due electoral response,” the church said.

Urging the people not to be carried away by a “nice candidate”, the church said, “Ultimately s/he is bound by the so-called party discipline and the ‘party whip’ when it comes to voting on critical issues. Thereby, well-intentioned politicians with noble convictions, on being elected, can become mere puppets to be used as toys in the hands of manipulative forces.”

Elections for the two

Lok Sabha

and bypolls to three assembly constituencies are scheduled for April 23 in the state.

It asked the people not to be appeased by “symbolic gestures. Let us not be carried away by petty and trivial issues, but think of the overall interest of the nation and of our state”.