Mumbai (AsiaNews) - In the Press Statement released by the Catholic Bishops Conference of India, Secretary General, Bishop Percival Fernandez, Auxiliary Bishop of Bombay declared that, "The Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI) welcomes the verdict given by the people of India in the General Elections to the 14th Lok Sabha (Lower House of Parliament) held recently in the country. The CBCI hopes that the verdict will herald a new era of social harmony and peace, economic justice and the strengthening of relations with our neighboring countries."

The Statement applauded the organization and governance of the elections that enabled 600 million people to exercise their right to vote. "The Election Commission of the country has done a commendable job and we acknowledge its important role in holding free and fair elections throughout the nation. International Observers have admitted that India is a great example where true democracy exists and is practiced."

In an exclusive interview with AsiaNews, Bishop Fernandez said that he himself was very pleased with the victory of the secular parties, and was happy with the choice of Mrs. Sonia Gandhi for the post of Prime Minister of India. He said he looked forward to the restoration of Secular Democratic India, stating that Christian and Muslims minorities had been living in fear in the rural country, and felt that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ruling party was not supportive of them. The hard-line policies of the Rashtriya Seva Sangh (RSS) and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) were reflected in many instances of violence and brutality committed against the religious minorities. They felt that the RSS and VHP inflamed communal hatred, and endorsed a culture of fear and suspicion in the Christian and Muslim communities.

Bishop Fernandez, as Vice-President of the Archdiocesan Board of Education also noted the "saffronization of education" that had been taking place. According to him, the RSS agenda targeted education to propagate their worldview, especially in history and social science classes, changing text books to glorify personalities with the RSS ideologies, while demonizing Christianity and Islam. Interference and the government's strong-arm tactics in schools' and colleges' admissions and administration made principals of Christian institutions victims of fundamentalist terrorism, where instances of  'blackening their faces'—damaging their reputations, were common. Such interference even affected the administration of the prestigious Indian Institute of Management (IIM).

Bishop Fernandez clearly stated that in other countries, education has flourished when it is has autonomy and is run by professional educators and specialists in the field.

The CBCI Press Statement echoed the sentiments of many, concluding that, "Expectations from the new Government are high and it is our hope that it will rise to the occasion and deliver its best for the people of our country. The Christian Community in India looks forward to better times in the country, for all its citizens, particularly the minority communities as well as the poor and the disadvantaged of our people. God bless our country and its leaders!"

The surprise victory of the Congress Party replacing the Hindu BJP party, and the election of Sonia Gandhi as Prime Minister has been called by Bishop Osco D'Penha, Auxiliary Bishop of Bombay and Co-ordinator of Lay Associations in the Archdiocese, a miracle wrought by Prayer. (NC)