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Indian church leaders disappointed by ruling party victory in Tamil Nadu
2003-048-3
3/4/2003
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[Episcopal News Service]
Christian leaders in Tamil Nadu expressed disappointment after the governing party of the southern Indian state won a district election, widely seen as a referendum on a controversial state law banning forced religious conversions.
The opposition Congress Party had hoped to capitalize on Christian discontent about the law which, churches said, was directed against religious minorities and could put at risk Christian relief work. Christians account for more than 35 per cent of the 100,000 voters in the Satankulam constituency where the poll took place on February 26.
But the candidate of the governing All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam party won by 15,000 votes, the result showed after votes were counted on March 1. 'We are disappointed and this result was quite unexpected,' said Church of South India Bishop Jeyapaul David, whose Tirunelveli diocese includes the constituency of Satankulam.
The chief minister of Tamil Nadu, J. Jayalalithaa, had spent more than a week campaigning in the constituency, apparently out of concern that many Christians might support the opposition.
The United News of India reported that the governing party's 'sensational victory' in the election appeared to show voters had been impressed by the chief minister's statements that the anti-conversion legislation would not be misused.
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