nThough the Congress had successfully negotiated with the DMK and walked away with nine Lok Sabha seats from where the party would field its candidates for the upcoming elections, the non-inclusion of minority communities in the list has upset the spiritual and community leadership in the State.
Four bishops from the district of Kanyakumari had written to the Congress High Command urging it to field one or two candidates belonging to the Christian community in the April 18 election. But the list released by the party High Command does not have even a single person for the Christian community and this has caused heart burning among some sections.
Interestingly, the Bishop Council of Tamil Nadu had issued a communique during the 2016 Assembly election asking the laity not to vote for the BJP or the alliance in which the Hindutwa party was a constituent. Kanyakumari district has a Christian population of 47 per cent , according to the 2011 Census of India.
It was widely believed that the Congress may field Christian candidates at Kanyakumari and Tirunelveli. Peter Alphonse, an articulate speaker who represented the Congress in channel discussions is a familiar face in the State and that had made him a strong contender.
But when the names of part candidates were announced the name of Peter or for that matter any Christian candidate were absent. Peter himself was upset but chose not to aggravate the situation and decided to bid his time till the elections are over. “It is true that the minorities have been alienated because of the non-inclusion of any candidates from the sections. We will take up the issue after the election,” Peter told reporters at Chennai.
A source in the Catholic church tod this newspaper that the bishops from the district of Kanyakumari had written a letter to Mukul wasnikm the AICC General Secretary in charge of Tamil Nadu that the Christian community in the State were facing an existential crisis because of the predatory policies and projects promoted by the sitting MP Pon Radhakrishnan, who is also the minister for shipping and surface transport.
The Church leaders were upset over the move by the minister to push through an international container terminal at Kulachel, which the bishops believe would lead to large scale displacement of fishermen, who all belong to the Christian community.
The Congress High Command on Sunday completed the list of party candidates who would contest rom the State by announcing the name of Karti Chidambaram as its nominee from Sivaganga parliamentary seat.