No takers for plight of Christian voters
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: February 09, 2022 -
OTHER than the objection raised by Christian organisations against scheduling of the first phase election to the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly on a Sunday, it seems that the process for conducting the polls is making smooth progress and the election conducting authorities wouldn't be facing any serious issues.
Apart from stray incidents and allegations from certain section of the population that members of armed groups have been intimidating electors in some villages to cast vote for candidates chosen by the outfits, the demand for rejigging the first phase polling date remains one of the issues that the ECI would be wishing wouldn't snowball into a major problem.
Unlike the past elections when incidents of armed groups covertly or overtly issuing diktats to voters in remote villages used to be the norm, this time around the dissent among the Christian community over the polling date has cast a shadow on whether the upcoming exercise would be an inclusive one for there is strong possibility that certain section of the population might skip the election.
As substantial number of electors has emotional attachment with candidates of same ethnicity and faith, it is only natural that the votes would be split to a great extent if the current rage continues.
In such a scenario it is also likely that disruptive elements will look to magnify the problem and discourage the faint hearted either not to venture out of homes or vote under duress at the behest of unscrupulous candidates, who might scheme to stoke the religious sentiment.
While there is no guarantee that the relative tranquil environment prevailing in the run-up to the election would remain the same as there had been a trend of armed outfits posing challenge to free and fair conduct of the democratic exercise) the Christian community would be eager that their religious sentiment is acknowledged by the ECI, which is fully empowered to prepone or postpone the polls, if necessary.
On their part, the Christian community and church bodies under the aegis of All Manipur Christian Organisation have made it clear that fixing the polling date on a day when Christians generally hold prayers and organise religious events is not acceptable by staging democratic protests at MBC complex and at Imphal Airport.
Ever since the election notification was announced Christian organisations have been urging the ECI and the Chief Electoral Officer to reschedule the first phase polling day on any day other than Sunday but without any positive response till date. Understandably, the Christian Action Committee has been specifically formed to make the Election Commission of India to stand up and listen to the grievances of Christian voters.
The angst among the Church bodies also seem to have been deepened by the lack of support from among the Christian candidates who have either filed their nomination papers or are in the process of completing the formality.
Thus, one can only hope that the ECI would have sympathy on the Christian population and do the needful to facilitate participation of the Christians in the five-yearly democratic exercise.
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