The Council for Social Justice and Peace (CSJP), a Goa Church affiliated body, in a pre-election advisory, on Tuesday observed that it is convincingly apparent that the election campaign even in these early stages, supported by the media, is geared towards the promotion of one individual as if this is a Presidential election.
Without naming any political parties, it gave a call for citizens to exercise their Constitutional rights and duties to vote and to revitalize a truly secular republic in the country in the forthcoming parliamentary election.
In the context of Goa, the CSJP advisory said, "Committed to vote in this election, scheduled for Saturday, April 12, we must reflect on the prevailing socio-political situation in the country and act to build a truly vibrant, secular, democratic republic of the People of India."
It lamented that in the past few years the 'secular spirit' has been infiltrated by corporate communal forces visible even in Goa, and lamented that a very large number of citizens are lured by materialism, consumerism and greed for power and wealth resulting in a decline in upholding moral and ethical values which are the intrinsic root of human life.
It also cautioned that that the secular democratic system is subtly corrupted when Senior Intelligence and Defence Personnel, on retirement, join selected political parties professing them to be the only nationalist parties.
Without specifically mentioning Goa, the CSJP noted that the tendency towards corruption is manifest in the failure of successive governments to establish people-serving institutions like the Lokayukta, Information and Minority Commission.
Asserting that the minorities of India whether ethnic, linguistic, religious or cultural have an equal right in the development of the nation, the CSJP said that they need to be protected and assisted to work in the mainstream, with freedom, and without discrimination and fear.
It said that in various parts of the country, the local people who are the undisputed owners of the land, water and forests are being blatantly denied their rights and are, in fact, marginalised and deprived, in favour of communal-corporate interests.
In that context, it pointed out that "some 'Models of Good Governance' presented to society turned out to be a myth as they are ridden with lack of transparency, accountability and participatory equality as exposed in various reports.
The advisory assumes significance as Goa's population comprises nearly 26 per cent of Catholics.
