Madurai : In a decision that will affect sizeable population of Christian community in casting their votes for political parties, the Tamil Nadu Bishops’ Council on Tuesday announced its support to the DMK-Congress alliance.
In a statement given to media on Tuesday, Tamil Nadu Bishops’ Council president and Madurai archbishop Anthony Pappusamy mentioned that the council had decided to back DMK and Congress after it “realised that it is the need of the hour to safeguard secular and democratic values.”
It said, “The stand is not taken because the council feels that these parties are clean but they are lesser evil.”
The stand of the council will be announced at each Christian parish to ensure the participation of the community in casting votes.
Explaining the reasons behind the stand, the Madurai archbishop stated that there were expectations on Tamil Nadu Christianity’s stand on assembly election and it was decided to place the demands of the Christian community to political parties and support whichever party is ready to address the demands.
The demands include a resolution in the assembly to include dalit Christians in Scheduled Castes, government order to include people who converted into Christianity from MBC communities in their respective castes, government pay to teachers working in minority institutions appointed after 1990, revoking the property tax levied on minority institutions, safety from harassment by communalistic forces and immediate ban on liquor.
The decision was taken after a series of meeting. First there were diocese level meetings where local bishops collected opinions from the laity. Later, the council met in Madurai to review the opinion of various dioceses. Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Bishops’ Council of Catholic denomination also had an ecumenical meeting with CSI Church discussing their political stand.
“DMK approached the council seeking support where the demands of the Church was proposed and the party agreed to fulfil them,” said a priest from Madurai Archdiocese. On Tuesday, there was a meeting between Madurai archbishop and DMK leader M Karunanidhi who was campaigning in Madurai before the statement has been issued.
Generally DMK and Congress got a soft corner among minorities in comparison with AIADMK and BJP. In the past the Church used to take such a political stand during elections. During parliamentary elections too, the Catholic diocese of Kottar advised the community to vote diligently towards secular parties.
When the spectrum scam and Eelam war were the main issues in the 2011 assembly election, the Tamil Nadu Bishops Council took a neutral stand.
Source : The Times of India
