Author: SAR News
Publication: Indian Currents
Date: June 9, 2002
In an unusual move, church leaders
have exhorted the members of the Christian community in the State of Jharkhand
to vote against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in a parliamentary
by election May 31.
The new northern Indian State's
five mainline churches, including the roman Catholics and Protestants,
have appealed to the community to vote against the "communal" BJP in the
by polls at Dumka, Indo-Asian. News Service reports from Ranchi.
"Do not take it as an edict. take
it as the feeling of our community that is facing a threat from the BJP
Government," said Fr. Raman Toppo. According to him, Christians in Jharkhand
are under constant threat of Hindu fundamentalist groups. "There Gujarat
carnage is an eye-opener for us. We are not ready to bear such kind of
a government," he said. Out of Dumka's 800000 voters, 100,000 Christians
and 160000 are Muslims. Earlier, Islamic clerics too had asked Muslims
to vote against the BJP in the Dumka by-election.
The Dumka by-election has become
a prestige issue for the BJP because its result will be viewed as a verdict
on the performance of chief Minister, Mr. Babu Lal Marandi's Government,
which has ruled Jharkhand since its creation in November 2000. The parliamentary
seat fell vacant when Mr. Marandi took over as the chief minister.
