PANJIM: Congress on Thursday will launch a mass signature campaign across the State urging the President of India to preserve and protect the country’s secularism while seeking action against the growing intolerance under the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government.
In a memorandum drafted to the President of India, which will be circulated to all 40 Assembly constituencies in the next two weeks with a target to get over one lakh signatures, Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) President Luizinho Faleiro said the Indian National Congress (INC), along with the people of Goa, write to express their collective anxiety and concern at the rising tide of intolerance and social lawlessness in recent times, that is slowly destroying the fabric of unity.
Addressing media persons on Wednesday, Faleiro said that under the NDA government right wing elements are creating an atmosphere of social lawlessness by operating as a writ unto themselves and stoking the flickering embers of fear.
“Especially since 2014, with the change of regime at the Centre, the political landscape of the country has been witnessing affronts which have threatened the spirit of tolerance that is an inherent feature of democracy,” the memorandum stated.
Pointing to certain instances leading towards intolerance, Faleiro said the country has witnessed the call for the controversial ghar wapsi, open criticism of Mother Teresa, heinous murders of rationalists like Dhabolkar and Pansare, Muzaffarnagar riots, declaring December 25 as Good Governance Day, labeling Jesus Christ as a demon, etc.
“We have noted with alarm, that the government through law has not hesitated to dictate what the people of the country should eat, especially beef,” he stated, adding that the politics of pitting the majority against the minority is unconstitutional.
“The vitiated and toxic atmosphere created by these acts of intolerance does not augur well for our democracy. Hence, it is imperative that the secular ideals are preserved and protected at all costs if we have to survive as a united nation,” Faleiro stated.
