PANJIM, MARCH 6
Highlighting the importance of the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls, Arhbishop-Patriarch M. Rev. Filipe Neri Ferrao has described the event as a decisive moment when the electorate are called to seal the destiny of the nation for the next five years.
In his message to the electorate of the State, Archbishop Ferrao described elections as a duty and privilege that the people are called to exercise, once again. 
 “(It is) a time to ask ourselves, in all sincerity, whether true democracy has been always respected and upheld in the “largest democracy of the world”, particularly by those who seek the votes,” said Archbishop Ferrao.
Stating that India had made great strides on various fronts, Archbishop Ferrao said India’s greatness lies in its multi-centennial heritage, which created saints and sages, its advances in various fields of human activity and its multi-coloured diversity of tribes, races, castes, languages and religions, forming a beautiful mosaic.
 “That the nation was inducted into the elite group of nations possessing nuclear power speaks tonnes for its performance at the service of peace in the community of nations,” he said.
Archbishop Ferrao, however, voiced caution of a long journey towards progress, which needs to be defined beyond glamour and glitter.
 “The fine qualities of what is truly human and what enhances the humanity of humankind need to be perceived and cultivated more and more. They need to trickle from the high echelons of the Indian society right down to its lowest strata.”
 “The very political system needs to be sanitized, so that all citizens may find space in it and feel comfortable,” he said.
Stating that the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) had launched an appeal to all Indian citizens, Archbishop Ferrao hoped that the people would exercise their franchise with a sense of responsibility, after a proper and dispassionate discernment of the political situation in the country.
The CBCI appeal calls upon “citizens who are about to go to the polls, to exercise judiciously their right to elect those representatives who will facilitate the emergence of a nation that we want to be through a responsible and accountable governance.”
In a detailed analysis of the situation in the country, the Bishops all over the country have highlighted the insensitivity of the leaders towards the plight of those who suffer because of the policies they adopt.
They referred specifically to the Special Economic Zones, exploitation of natural resources, constant disruptions of Assemblies and Parliament by needless walkouts and adjournments, disrespect for presiding officers, passing of some bills without sufficient discussion and the criminalization of politics.
The appeal also decries the external and global terrorism, the delay tactics on the part of the State, intolerance towards the creative artistes, idolization of money and power displacing God.
The bishops have called upon the electorate to ensure that their names is registered in the voters’ list and exercise their right by choosing candidates, who have no criminal record or background.
The electorate has also been advised to support those candidates who would protect and promote secularism and democratic commitment, enforce fundamental rights to life, liberty, equality and justice, eradicate poverty and illiteracy, uphold gender equality and abolish child labour.
The prelates have also appealed to voters to consider those candidates who “empower the electorate with the right to recall their elected representatives on grounds of non-performance, corruption and lack of personal integrity.”