Catholic bishops' body says new govt should follow 'golden rule' of secularism

The new government should imbibe the culture of charity and respect the Constitution and the "golden rule of secularism", a Catholic bishops' body said Saturday after holding discussions among the faithful across the country.

The Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) has submitted a report on the discussions among the faithful at various levels regarding their stance for the forthcoming general election, Chevalier Adv V C Sebastian, the secretary of Laity Council, said.

According to a statement issued here, the discussions were held from February 1 to March 22 at various centres in India about the standpoint of the faithful regarding the coming Lok Sabha polls, the socio-political situation in India and the expectations of the citizens in general.

"The general feedback received from across the country was that the new government should imbibe the age-old culture of sages regarding charity and fellowship, respect the constitution and the golden rule of secularism and the fundamental rights," the statement read.

Also, the new government should guarantee security to the life and property of individuals, arouse the human conscience against the evils of communalism, and share a general culture of love and concern for others, it stated.

"It should have a progressive outlook in developmental matters so as to effectively faced the global challenges in various avenues," it added.

The report also contains a wrap-up of the various current issues such as reservation for Christian Dalits, crisis in the agricultural sector, "pathetic situation" of the fishermen community, alleged violation of minority rights and unemployment of educated youth.

In the statement, Sebastian added that copies of the report have been submitted to all Catholic dioceses in India for further steps.