The Catholic Bishops Conference of India has asked the country’s electoral commission to change one of the dates on which the country’s upcoming general election will be held, saying that scheduling voting in some states on 18th April, the day before Good Friday, could cause logistical problems for Christians.
The electoral commission has announced that the general election will be held over seven different days in different states. The states of Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Manipur, Orissa, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal have all be scheduled to go to the polls on 18th April.
The conference has written to the electoral commission urging the change, saying that 18th April – upon which Holy Thursday falls this year – is a holy day for Christians, according to a report from Agenzia Fides. The call comes after an earlier calls from the Catholic bishops of the state of Tamil Nadu – one of the 13 states where voting is scheduled to be held on that day – urging the date change.
In a written communication to the electoral commission, Bishop Theodore Mascarenhas, secretary general of the conference, said he was writing not “only on the basis of religious sentiments, but rather in consideration of the logistical difficulties that could occur in view of the upcoming elections”, according to Fides.
“We understand that April 18 (Holy Thursday) is not a public holiday, but most Christians take leave from work or carry out a reduced service to participate in the sacred worship,” the bishop wrote.
According to Fides, Mascarenhas went on to say that while Christians “would like to render full service to the electoral commission and to the country in this important event”, thanks to the date they “could find it difficult to fulfill both the demands of worship and the electoral duties, especially those who are police officers or serving in the polls”.
“Christians will continue to carry out their sacred duty to the country, but the Electoral Commission could make it easier for them to participate in the process, shifting the vote on another date.”
Almost 900 million people are expected to cast their votes at almost a million polling stations. Counting will take place on 23rd May.
