Verghese V Joseph –
The recent statement by Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão, Archbishop of Goa-Daman, urging his people to refrain from undertaking a pilgrimage to the Marian shrine at Velankanni in Tamil Nadu a day before the general elections in Goa has caused a bit of dismay within the Goan community.
While the cardinal’s intention to remind Catholics of their civic responsibility is commendable, the situation raises questions about the role of religious leaders in political matters.
Goa is scheduled to vote on May 7 to elect two Lok Sabha members.
The South Western Railway on March 7, 2022, introduced the weekly train between Goa’s Vasco Da Gama and Tamil Nadu’s Nagapattinam, near Vailankanni. The train, No. 17315 “Velankanni Express,” leaves at 9 am on Mondays and arrives Vailankanni the following afternoon.
In the return direction, the train leaves Nagapattinam at 12:20 am on Wednesdays and reaches Vasco Da Gama at 3:25 am on Thursdays.
In his circular, the prelate reminds Catholics and “people of goodwill” to fulfill their civic responsibility by exercising their vote.
The cardinal’s circular emphasises the importance of responsible citizenship and participation in political life as a moral obligation, quoting Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation “The Joy of the Gospel” and the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, Gaudium et Spes, no 75. These are valid points, and the cardinal’s appeal for every eligible voter to participate in the democratic process is appreciated.
However, the dismay among the Goans lies in the fact that the cardinal’s note has chosen to remind the laity of their electoral responsibilities while seemingly ignoring other critical issues within the Goan political sphere. The cardinal’s statement acknowledges the importance of promoting the common good and upholding constitutional values, but it fails to address the rampant corruption and political maneuvering that have plagued Goa for years.
Defection and horse-trading, which can be described as “sheer mockery of electoral democracy,” have been ongoing issues in Goa, and the Catholic church and Christian communities have been passive observers.
The question remains: why are religious leaders veering into the political arena, reminding the laity of their electoral responsibilities when they have not taken a similar position against corruption and political manipulation? The laity, who are not naive, are fed up with Goan politicians, and they expect their religious leaders to take a more proactive role in highlighting these critical issues.
It is crucial for religious leaders to address the broader political landscape and work towards creating a more just and equitable society. By taking a more active role in combating corruption and political maneuvering, religious leaders can truly make a difference in the lives of their followers and the nation as a whole.
Church’s Stance on Defection and Horse-Trading in Goa
While the Catholic Church in Goa has not taken a formal stance on defection and horse-trading, it has however expressed concerns about the issue.
Some members of the Catholic community have called for the Church to play a more active role in urging parishioners to vote for candidates that align with Catholic values and principles.
The history of defection and horse-trading in Goa goes back over half a century. It has been a persistent issue in the state’s politics, with politicians often switching parties for personal or political gain. This has led to instability in government and has undermined the democratic process.
In 1967, the term ‘Aaya Ram, Gaya Ram’ was coined to describe the phenomenon of defection in Indian politics. It refers to a politician who changes parties frequently for personal gain. This term became popular after Gaya Lala, a politician from Haryana, defected thrice in a fortnight, switching between the Congress and the Janata Party.
In 2017, after the assembly elections in Goa, the Congress emerged as the single-largest party with 17 seats, while the BJP had 13 seats. Despite falling short of the majority mark, the BJP managed to come to power by winning the support of the Goa Forward Party (GFP), a party that switched sides after campaigning alongside the Congress during the elections. All three GFP MLAs extended their support to the BJP, leading to the resignation of the GFP president. Subsequently, by July 2019, 12 Congress MLAs defected to the BJP, allowing them to evade the anti-defection rules.
In Manipur, after the 2017 legislative assembly elections, the BJP was short of seats with 21 compared to Congress’s 28 seats. However, the BJP, along with its allies, managed to cobble together 30 seats to reach the majority mark of 31 in the 60-member assembly. They achieved this by getting a single Congress MLA to support them without actually resigning from the Congress. This maneuvering allowed the BJP to stake their claim to form the government in Manipur.
The MLA, Thounaojam Shyamkumar Singh, accompanied the BJP MLAs and allies to Raj Bhavan to meet the governor and was then sworn in as a minister in the new cabinet. However, he continued to serve as a minister in the cabinet even after being expelled from the Congress.
Last month, BJP named Thounaojam Basantakumar Singh as Lok Sabha candidate from Inner Manipur.
The Anti-Defection Law passed in 1985, was intended to curb the malaise of defection in Indian politics. The law prohibits MLAs from defecting to another party without the support of two-thirds of their legislative party. However, the law has not been entirely successful in preventing defections, and horse-trading remains a persistent issue in Goa’s politics.
These examples highlight how defection and horse trading have influenced political outcomes in Goa and Manipur, leading to changes in government and power dynamics through the strategic switching of allegiances by politicians.
To address the issue of defection and horse trading in Goa, the Catholic Church can take several steps:
Educate the Laity: The Catholic Church can educate the laity on the importance of responsible citizenship and the dangers of defection and horse-trading, empowering them to make informed decisions and hold politicians accountable.
Encourage Ethical Political Engagement: The Catholic Church can encourage its followers to engage in ethical political engagement, promoting transparency, accountability, and integrity in the political sphere.
Form Lay Leaders: The Catholic Church can form lay leaders to fight corruption and promote ethical-political engagement, providing a platform for the laity to actively participate in the political process and advocate for change.
Promote Voter Awareness: The Catholic Church can promote voter awareness, encouraging its followers to exercise their right to vote and participate in the democratic process, thereby reducing the likelihood of political maneuvering and corruption.
By taking these steps, the Catholic Church can indeed play a much more crucial role in addressing the issue of defection and horse-trading in Goa, thereby promoting a more just and equitable political landscape.
You have done well to expose the rot in the body politic in Goa. However, are we expecting too much from the Cardinal alone? The biggest lay organisation the AICU has been headquartered in Goa for the last 24 years. The Catholic Association of Goa also boasts of a high membership. What are they doing for voter awareness?
Good article Verghese and thank you.
Rightly pointed out about defections in Goa.
Goa has been jinxed with defections, at one point between 1990-2000, Goa had 15 Chief ministers. However, the Catholic laity community without the direct support of the Church hierarchy has played an important role in Goan politics and continues. Goa has been saved because of the right-minded Catholic politicians and activist be it late Dr Jack de Sequeira (instrumental in calling the opinion poll at back of merging Goa with Maharashtra).
Also with other issues like the language agitation, Konkan railway, Meta-strips, coal, mining etc. it has been the Catholics like late Mathany Saldanha, Dr. Oscar, late Fr. Bismarquee, Fr. Eremito, Fr Bolmex, Claude Alvares and Captain Viriato and many more.
Should the Church hierarchy be more politically vociferous? It is challenging and dicey, considering that one of the problems for the Church in Goa& in India as well, is that it depends on the government (local or central) for educational grants of its schools,colleges and universities.
The church run educational institutes with the change in government educational polices are no longer autonomous and infrastructure upkeep, payment of staff salaries requires funding. In the past it was the Christian aid from the West that helped this which indeed provided free top-class education without discrimination of religion, caste etc. resulting in many flocking for “convent run education.”
Secondly Catholic laity Goans depend on the greedy politicians for political favors to regularize their illegalities but also camouflage this hypocrisy for their convenience under the narrative of persecution.
Surely lots needs to be desired from the Church authorities but even more by the educated people of Goa. But how the church hierarchy in India engages with politics is not going to be easy, perhaps it needs to do it subtly on the outside through your suggestions and at times through a few saintly martyrs like Fr. Stan Swamy.
There are many issues which demands action.Cardinal Neri has taken one such issue which is praiseworthy.All issues acannot be taken at once.Corruption is an issue that has plagued all institutions including the church.Many fingers will be raised if a church authority points to people and political parties.Its solution lies in each one’s personal commitment to God and neighbour.