Indian Christian forum congratulates new government

The National Untied Christian Forum on May 14 congratulated the secular democratic forces led by the Congress for securing sufficient seats in the 14th Lok Sabha general elections and being in a position to form the next government.

The National United Christian Forum is a body comprising Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI); the National Council of Churches in India (NCCI); and the Evangelical Fellowship of India (EFI).

While the United Christian Forum thanked the outgoing NDA government for its achievement in many areas of its governance and noted with a little regret its deafening silence towards "those fundamentalists who were spreading hatred against the minorities", it expressed its pleasure that a non-communal government would be in place at the Centre soon.

"We congratulate the Congress leader Mrs Sonia Gandhi for working so hard to bring the party back to the centre of political activities in the country after its rather poor earlier performance. We note that this mandate by the people of India is to strengthen the secular traditions for which India is known the world over," said Delhi Archbishop Vincent M. Concessao, the President of the Forum.

The Forum also congratulated the Election Commission for its commendable job in holding the elections successfully. The Forum, however, reminded the new government that it could forget its promises made to the poor and to the minorities only at its own peril as the recent results to the Lok Sabha amply demonstrated.

Archbishop Concessao also reiterated the Church's commitment to the poor and the downtrodden for whom it had always stood.

The Forum also asked all the political parties and the people of the nation to cooperate with the new government in a responsible manner and to ensure that they did not betray the trust the electorate had put in them and uphold the secular democratic values enshrined in the Constitutions.

The Rev. Dr Ipe Joseph, General Secretary of the National Council of Churches in India, said the 14th Lok Sabha election results had "encouraged us to restore our hope in the democratic system of our country and the secular fabric of our nation.

"The people have given a new mandate to the secular forces to form a government which would safeguard the constitutional rights of the citizens, protect the rights of the minorities, and to build a society where communal harmony will prevail."

He said the NCCI was fully satisfied at the reward of its "humble attempts to propagate the idea of Voting Conscientiously. We are glad to note that the church members came out in large numbers to exercise their franchise.

"We take this opportunity to thank all church leaders who published the Vote Conscientiously document in their magazines and encouraged their people to vote without fail."

He said, "Meanwhile, we request you to remember our country and the new government in prayer."