CWM

Indian church calls for election delay in Kandhamal

Tuesday, 07 April 2009 19:21

Church leaders in North India have called for government elections in Kandhamal to be put off until anti-Christian violence in the region has died down.

Church of North India (CNI) general secretary Rev Dr Enos Das Pradhan voiced fears that with more than 20,000 Christian refugees still living in relief camps away from their villages, many CNI members would not be able to vote.

He warned that if the elections were to go ahead, they would be seen as a preplanned "gimmick by the perpetrators of the violence to gain political mileage" at the cost of many Christians' lives.

"The Church of North India membership strongly believes in democracy and adult franchise is its solemn duty," he said. "But given the situation, if elections are held as per schedule many of the CNI members will not be able to exercise their right to vote.”

Dr Pradhan said staging elections in the current climate would be "disastrous" and called on the Chief Election Commissioner to postpone them until tensions cool and Christians can return to their homes to vote.