Christians in India welcome the nomination of Catholic Margaret Alva as the opposition candidate for Indian Vice President.
India Gate in New Delhi, icon image by Stefan Schmidt-Bilkenroth on Pixabay
New Delhi- Christians in India welcome the nomination of Catholic Margaret Alva as the opposition candidate for Indian Vice President. The national coordinator of the United Christian Forum, AC Michael, thanked the opposition parties for “electing a leader who has worked and served people of all castes and faiths,” Catholic news portal Matters India reported on Monday. .
Christians in India are important for education and health
Father Faustine Lobo, spokesperson for the Episcopal Conference of Karnataka State, called the appointment “a privilege for the Christian minority in India”. Alva’s appointment is a recognition of the important role played by Christians in India in the fields of education, health and development.
The former editor of the weekly Raknno of the Diocese of Mangalore, Father Francis Rodrigues, said the Catholic Church could be proud of the appointment, whether Alva wins or not. “Margaret Alva is one of the few politicians with high managerial skills, widely respected and popular as an uncorrupt politician,” he pointed out.
Alva, 70, from Mangalore, of the opposition Congress party, has served as governor of four Indian states, a member of the national government and a five-time member of the Indian parliament. Governors are the heads of Indian states, which are ruled by a prime minister.
Ruling parties appoint Hindu
The election of India’s vice president by the 788 members of both houses of parliament will take place on August 6. Deputies of the ruling Hindu nationalist party “Indian People’s Party” (BNP) and their allies form the majority of the electorate. The ruling parties have nominated Hindu Jagdeep Dhankhar (71), a former governor of West Bengal, as vice president.
The new president was elected on Monday by around 4,800 members of the electoral assembly, and the result is due to be announced on Thursday. The most promising candidate is Draupadi Murmu (68), who was nominated by the ruling party, the BNP. If elected, she will be the first Adivasi to serve as president. Adivasi is the collective term for the indigenous peoples of India, who represent an oppressed and exploited minority.
