Kathmandu (
AsiaNews) - Nepalese Catholics and Protestants are responding to attacks by
Maoist extremists across the country praying for a peaceful atmosphere during
the Constituent Assembly elections scheduled for tomorrow . The
initiative launched by the Christians has led to thousands of people, Christian
and non, to go to church despite the distance and the total absence of public
transport because of the attacks and the general strike called by the
extremists.
Nabin
Tamang , 21, from Chabahil ( Kathmandu ) walked almost 10 kilometers just to
attend prayers held in the Cathedral of the Assumption. "Usually
- he says - I attend Sunday mass. A few days ago some anti- elections groups blocked
all transport, targeting public buses with petrol bombs and stones, injuring
dozens of people. So, I decided to make the journey on foot".
Rajan
Rai , a Protestant Christian from Jorparti (suburb of Kathmandu ) walked with
all his family for more than two hours to be able to pray in the church of
Gyaneshwor . "
My whole family - he says - came from Jorparti regardless of the hours of
walking ."
To
prevent the elections on 19 November, radical Maoists groups have set Nepal on fire.
Led
by former leader Mohan Baidhya , the militants have unleashed violence across
the country , carrying out ambushes, vandalism, arson and bombs. On
13 November, the Maoists attacked public and private transport, even detonating
a bomb aboard a bus in Kathmandu.
Catholic
and Protestant leaders have asked Christians to offer a witness other than the hatred
and violence perpetrated by extremist parties . Bishop
Anthony Sharma , bishop of Kathmandu , has launched an appeal to the thousands
of faithful who attended Mass yesterday : "We pray for the peaceful
election and the new constitution of the country. We call for dialogue between
the various political parties to limit their disputes". Narayan
Sharma, Protestant Bishop of Kathmandu invited the faithful "to pray for a
secular democracy and for the Constituent Assembly that will be involved in
writing a new constitution."
The
elections take place after five years of political chaos and four coalition
governments, who have continuously failed to draft a democratic constitution ,
after centuries of Hindu monarchy .
The
main political parties - Congress Party (conservative ) and Unified Communist
Party of Nepal (Ucpnm , Maoist ) - have assured the population that, once in
power, the Constitution will be drafted within a year.