UCA News
Contribute

No election on Sunday, Christians tell India's poll panel

The minority community which forms 41 percent of Manipur state's population says it's a day of rest and worship
No election on Sunday, Christians tell India's poll panel

Christian devotees from northeast India hold a protest for the rights of their community in New Delhi in August 2017. (Photo: Bijay Kumar Minj/UCA News)

Published: January 13, 2022 04:55 AM GMT
Updated: January 13, 2022 06:34 AM GMT

Christian leaders and student unions in the northeastern state of Manipur have urged India’s election commission to change the polling date for the upcoming provincial election as it falls on a Sunday.

Assembly elections in five Indian states were announced by the commission on Jan. 8 with Manipur set to vote in two phases on Feb. 27 and March 3.

The All Tribal Students’ Union Manipur (ATSUM) and Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM) have urged the commission to reschedule the polling to any other convenient date other than a Sunday.

ATSUM in a statement on Jan. 10 said the scheduling of the election date for Feb. 27, which is a Sunday, was a matter of concern for tribal people and the Christian community in the state.

Khaiminlen Doungel, secretary of ATSUM, said that “the state predominantly consists of tribal Christians who account for 43 percent of the state’s population and Sunday is a holy and sacred day for them. It is also a day for rest and worship.”

Doungel said the commission lacked “the ability to appreciate the spiritual values, beliefs and practices of the Christian community. Its apathy is in fact antagonistic.”

Like other faiths, we too have the constitutional right to profess and practice our faith and urge the election commission to find a suitable date for polling

ATSUM said the decision to hold polls on a Sunday would prevent many eligible voters from exercising their franchise.

Shokholun Mate, general secretary of KIM, said there were “serious objections and complaints” as the decision to hold polling on a Sunday was bound “to hurt the religious sentiments” of the state’s Christian community.

Father Felix Anthony, the spokesman for the Catholic Church in northeastern India, told UCA News that the election commission “should have taken special care and attention while scheduling the poll date. It should have been more sensitive.”

Christians have an obligation to attend Sunday services and scheduling a poll on that day will affect their voting, he said. “Like other faiths, we too have the constitutional right to profess and practice our faith and urge the election commission to find a suitable date for polling,” he added

Christians make up 41.29 percent of Manipur’s population of 2.85 million, according to the Census of India 2011 report. Christians are a majority in five out of nine districts of the state.

Help UCA News to be independent
Dear reader,
Lent is the season during which catechumens make their final preparations to be welcomed into the Church.
Each year during Lent, UCA News presents the stories of people who will join the Church in proclaiming that Jesus Christ is their Lord. The stories of how women and men who will be baptized came to believe in Christ are inspirations for all of us as we prepare to celebrate the Church's chief feast.
Help us with your donations to bring such stories of faith that make a difference in the Church and society.
A small contribution of US$5 will support us continue our mission…
William J. Grimm
Publisher
UCA News
Asian Bishops
Latest News
UCA News Catholic Dioceses in Asia
UCA News Catholic Dioceses in Asia
UCA News Catholic Dioceses in Asia