By TCN News,
Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh Federation of Churches (APFC), which is a state-level apex body of Archbishops, Bishops and Heads of mainline Churches and Christian Denominations representing the Christian Community in the State, held its Seventh General Body meeting on March 27, 2014 at St John’s Regional Seminary, Hyderabad. The most important point in its agenda was deliberation on the ensuing state and general elections.
While urging all the citizens especially the Christians in the State to actively participate in the democratic process by exercising their right and duty to vote, APFC urged them to elect service-minded, secular and sincere leaders who are free from crime, corruption and communalism. APFC resolved to present its charter of demands to all the Political Parties to include them their manifestoes and implement them in residuary Andhra Pradesh and Telangana after bifurcation. Signed by the Presidents of APFC Archbishop Thumma Bala of Hyderabad & CSI Moderator Bishop G. Dyvasirvadam the memorandum is submitted to the leaders of the political parties.
The main points that the APFC wants political parties to include in their manifestos and to strive to implement them are:
1. Extend SC status to the Dalit Christians by deleting the unconstitutional and discriminatory Para 3 of Constitution (Presidential) Order 19 of 1950.
2. Continue the grant-in-aid to the Church-run Educational Institutions and fill up vacant aided posts pending from 2004 without further delay.
3. Remove the ban on propagation and practice of Faiths by withdrawing G.Os Ms. No: 746 and 747 both dated 02-06-2007.
4. Enact “Prevention of Communal Violence Act” and “Prevention of Minorities Atrocities Act” in line with the “Prevention of SC ST Atrocities Act”.
5. Constitute the State Christian (Minority) Finance Corporation fully and allocate at least 15% of the funds and schemes under the Prime Minister’s 15 Point Programme and Minority Welfare budget.
6. Representations to Christians must be given in the legislative and civil bodies, administrative panels and in various commissions / boards. At least one Assembly seat in each district and two Lok Sabha seats in the State must be assigned to Christian Minority.
7. Allocate government lands for the construction of churches, community halls, education institutions and burial grounds.
The members at the end of their demands also wished all the political parties to do well in the elections.