Focus

Light of Truth

Q: Attacking Archbishop Macwan, Prime Minister Modi said: “I was surprised to see a man associated with spirituality issue a diktat to remove nationalist forces from power…” What is your response?
A: I ignore such comments. The channels are articulating Abp Macwan’s words with added colours. In a pastoral letter, Abp Thomas Mac-wan of Gandhinagar called for prayers to “save our country from nationalist forces” and for the victory of leaders “faithful to the Indian Constitution” in a simple language to the ordinary people of his diocese. What the archbishop said was never in any way meant to take side of a particular party or to polarise the people. Abp Macwan clarified to the Election Commission that he had no “mala fide intention” against any party when he made appeals for prayers and for elections. The intension of the speaker was to save the entire body of constitutional rights. Perhaps it could have been a little more diplomatically worded, but the content was right. Perhaps, we have to be a little more cautious in expressing our views. We have to definitely take a stand on issues in a democratic system, but we have to be a little more cautious in our language. In the eve of an election, people will use it as a political weapon.

Abp Albert D’Souza
Agra

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