Raipur: Only 10 of 939 people running for seats in Chhattisgarh state's legislative assembly are Christians, and most of them have little chance of winning, Church people say.
More than 15.2 million people are expected to take part in the voting for the central Indian state's 90-member assembly. Polling is being split over two days due to the limited number of election officials and polling stations.
Two people were killed as violence marred the first day of voting, on Nov. 14, when about 6.4 million people voted to fill 39 seats. The Christian candidates, all members of tribal groups, are running in constituencies where voting is scheduled for Nov. 20. Results are to be announced on Dec. 8.
The Congress party, the state's main opposition, set four slots for Christians among its assembly candidates, while the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP, Indian people's party) nominated only Hindus.
The BJP is considered the political arm of radical groups that want to make India a Hindu theocracy. About 95 percent of Chhattisgarh's 20.8 million people are Hindus. Muslims form about 2 percent and Christians less than 1 percent. Buddhists, Jains and Sikhs are among the smaller communities.
Most Christian candidates are running in constituencies covered by Jashpur and Ambikapur dioceses. Both are in the ecclesiastical province headed by Raipur archdiocese, based in the state capital of the same name, 1,175 kilometers southeast of New Delhi. The most prominent Christian candidate is Ajit Jogi, 62, the state's first chief minister after being carved from Madhya Pradesh in 2000. Like neighboring Jharkhand state, carved from Bihar that same year, Chhattisgarh was established ostensibly to advance the welfare of its significant tribal population.
The Congress party has projected Jogi, a Church of North India member, as its chief ministerial candidate. His wife Renuka is also a candidate with the party.
Ramdev Ram, is contesting under the Congress banner in Lundra, in Ambikapur diocese. His parish priest, Father Bhakti Bhushan Kerketta, says Ram "is sure to win."
Even though Ram does not practice his faith, "he is a Christian at heart and his family members are all practicing Catholics," Father Keretta said. He explained that Ram has kept a distance from his religion "to get into politics" but is popular and supports the Church.
In the last election, in 2003, he lost to a BJP candidate by only 42 votes.
The remaining Congress party candidate, Uttamdin Minj, is a Catholic contesting in Kunkuri, in neighboring Jashpur diocese. The engineer-turned-politician said he aims to change legislation that harasses Christian missioners when they buy tribal land for the Church. "It is a problem for our Christian community. It has to be solved," he said.
Uttamdin, 42, promises to halt the BJP government's move to take over tribal land for industries, which he warns would destroy tribal culture. Instead, he plans to promote "high-tech and agricultural-based" jobs for tribal youths.
However, Church people are skeptical about Uttamdin's chances. Two other Catholics are running as independents in the same constituency.
Father Edmon Bara, Jashpur diocese's public relations officer, thinks the three will split Catholic votes and help the BJP candidate to win instead. The Church wanted Congress to field Apolina Xalxo, a Catholic woman who would have won, he said.
Xalxo told UCA News she rejected an offer from Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (liberation front of Jharkhand) to contest the seat on its ticket. "I didn't want to divide our votes," she said.
That party did, however, nominate some candidates in Chhattisgarh including Congress-rejected Sanjay Tirkey in Pathalgaon, also in Jashpur diocese. A Catholic woman, Hemlata Minj, is contesting the same seat on the Bahujan Samaj Party (common people's party) ticket.
Father Stany Tirkey of Pathalgaon said Church people tried to persuade Tirkey to withdraw to avoid splitting tribal Catholic votes.
A Lutheran, Lalsai Minj, is a candidate of the National Congress Party in Samri, Ambikapur diocese, but Father Solomon Tirkey of Lorangi parish says his chances too are slim.
Communist Party of India candidate Xavier Minj, a Catholic from Jashpur constituency, has little support, said Father Dilip Kispotta, assistant parish priest of Jashpur. Catholics might vote instead for Congress' Vinay Bhagat, a tribal Hindu who supports the Church, he said.
More than 15.2 million people are expected to take part in the voting for the central Indian state's 90-member assembly. Polling is being split over two days due to the limited number of election officials and polling stations.
Two people were killed as violence marred the first day of voting, on Nov. 14, when about 6.4 million people voted to fill 39 seats. The Christian candidates, all members of tribal groups, are running in constituencies where voting is scheduled for Nov. 20. Results are to be announced on Dec. 8.
The Congress party, the state's main opposition, set four slots for Christians among its assembly candidates, while the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP, Indian people's party) nominated only Hindus.
The BJP is considered the political arm of radical groups that want to make India a Hindu theocracy. About 95 percent of Chhattisgarh's 20.8 million people are Hindus. Muslims form about 2 percent and Christians less than 1 percent. Buddhists, Jains and Sikhs are among the smaller communities.
Most Christian candidates are running in constituencies covered by Jashpur and Ambikapur dioceses. Both are in the ecclesiastical province headed by Raipur archdiocese, based in the state capital of the same name, 1,175 kilometers southeast of New Delhi. The most prominent Christian candidate is Ajit Jogi, 62, the state's first chief minister after being carved from Madhya Pradesh in 2000. Like neighboring Jharkhand state, carved from Bihar that same year, Chhattisgarh was established ostensibly to advance the welfare of its significant tribal population.
The Congress party has projected Jogi, a Church of North India member, as its chief ministerial candidate. His wife Renuka is also a candidate with the party.
Ramdev Ram, is contesting under the Congress banner in Lundra, in Ambikapur diocese. His parish priest, Father Bhakti Bhushan Kerketta, says Ram "is sure to win."
Even though Ram does not practice his faith, "he is a Christian at heart and his family members are all practicing Catholics," Father Keretta said. He explained that Ram has kept a distance from his religion "to get into politics" but is popular and supports the Church.
In the last election, in 2003, he lost to a BJP candidate by only 42 votes.
The remaining Congress party candidate, Uttamdin Minj, is a Catholic contesting in Kunkuri, in neighboring Jashpur diocese. The engineer-turned-politician said he aims to change legislation that harasses Christian missioners when they buy tribal land for the Church. "It is a problem for our Christian community. It has to be solved," he said.
Uttamdin, 42, promises to halt the BJP government's move to take over tribal land for industries, which he warns would destroy tribal culture. Instead, he plans to promote "high-tech and agricultural-based" jobs for tribal youths.
However, Church people are skeptical about Uttamdin's chances. Two other Catholics are running as independents in the same constituency.
Father Edmon Bara, Jashpur diocese's public relations officer, thinks the three will split Catholic votes and help the BJP candidate to win instead. The Church wanted Congress to field Apolina Xalxo, a Catholic woman who would have won, he said.
Xalxo told UCA News she rejected an offer from Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (liberation front of Jharkhand) to contest the seat on its ticket. "I didn't want to divide our votes," she said.
That party did, however, nominate some candidates in Chhattisgarh including Congress-rejected Sanjay Tirkey in Pathalgaon, also in Jashpur diocese. A Catholic woman, Hemlata Minj, is contesting the same seat on the Bahujan Samaj Party (common people's party) ticket.
Father Stany Tirkey of Pathalgaon said Church people tried to persuade Tirkey to withdraw to avoid splitting tribal Catholic votes.
A Lutheran, Lalsai Minj, is a candidate of the National Congress Party in Samri, Ambikapur diocese, but Father Solomon Tirkey of Lorangi parish says his chances too are slim.
Communist Party of India candidate Xavier Minj, a Catholic from Jashpur constituency, has little support, said Father Dilip Kispotta, assistant parish priest of Jashpur. Catholics might vote instead for Congress' Vinay Bhagat, a tribal Hindu who supports the Church, he said.
Source: UCANews
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