Christian leader wants to see a ‘new’ India against corruption

By Nirmala Carvalho

GREATER attention to India’s ethnic and religious minorities, corruption, social justice, empowerment of women, education, support for the sick, the disabled and the elderly are the challenges and issues that the next prime minister and government of India will face now that the first phase of the country’s general elections got underway today in the states of Assam and Tripura, this according to the Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC).

“Even though society’s weaker sections have seen their status improve thanks to quotas for minorities, Christian and Muslim Dalits still do not exercise these rights because of their religion,” GCIC president Sajan George told AsiaNews.

“Such discrimination,” he said, “is serious for two reasons: on the one hand, it keeps them away from the country’s development and progress; on the other, it marginalises them compared to other Dalits.”

Since 1950, Article 341 (1) paragraph 3 of the Constitution recognises the rights of Scheduled Castes to economic, educational and social benefits. Originally applicable only to Dalit Hindus, these rights were extended to Buddhists and Sikhs in 1956 and 1990. So far, Christians and Muslims have been left out.

“Intolerance is growing between communities, fuelling hatred and enmity,” said the Christian leader. “Interfaith harmony is falling back across the country because of deliberate attacks by radical Hindu militants who must be stopped.”

From an economic point of view, “we are witnessing a widening gap between rich and poor,” the GCIC president explained. “This is the result of policies not implemented by those in power who seem to represent the interests of the few and rampant corruption.”

For the country’s development, “it is important to create support programmes that involve women from every social background,” said Sajan George, “to help them overcome the challenges they face. It is necessary to set up a commission to uphold children’s rights and stop human trafficking that involves them.”

One issue that is also becoming more and more urgent is that of the elderly. Indeed, “Modern medicine has extended the life of our people, increasing the number of older people,” George noted.

“The government should take care of its citizens by creating aid and leisure centres for senior citizens, but also take advantage of their experience and skills by putting them at the disposal of others,” he added.

Finally, the GCIC president said that India needs to “eradicate the social bias that exists against people with disabilities, which is the result of a medieval and retrograde mind-set that keeps them on the margins of the community.”

“This,” he explained, “is a serious problem that calls for our leaders to cooperate with private institutions that work with these people.” AsiaNews