The Political Awareness Program, organized by the Diocese of Karwar, was held on 14 March 2026 at Holy Rosary High School, Yellapur, for the faithful of the Haliyal and Sirsi Deaneries. The program was jointly organized by the KDDC, Laity Commission, Youth Commission, Women Commission, Communication Commission, and Ecumenism Commission of the Diocese.

The program began with a prayer conducted by Fr. Stewart Fernandes, Communication Director of the Diocese. The master of ceremonies for the event was Fr. Silvan Rodrigues, Youth Director, who guided the program effectively.

Fr. Raymond Fernandes, Dean of the Haliyal Deanery, delivered the introductory talk. In his message, he spoke about the need to remove dirty politics and to promote good and value-based politics in society. He reminded the gathering that as followers of Jesus Christ, Christians are called to become the light among people and to spread the good values of Jesus through their lives, contributing positively to society.

Fr. Steven D’Souza then introduced the resource person, Mr. K. L. Ashok, highlighting his experience and involvement in social awareness and public life. Advocate Raghavendra was also introduced during the program.

During his session, Mr. K. L. Ashok spoke about the importance of local elections and the responsibility of citizens to participate actively and responsibly. He spoke about the problems faced in villages and encouraged people to be aware of local issues and work together for the development of their communities. He also gave the example of the Delhi Legislative Assembly elections, explaining how elections are carefully planned and organized and emphasizing the need for awareness and participation in the democratic process.

In his address, Advocate Raghavendra spoke about the upcoming Gram Panchayat elections, mentioning that all political parties are preparing for these elections. He also explained the importance of the SIR (Special Intensive Revision) of the voters’ list and emphasized that no one’s name should be removed from the voters’ list. He mentioned that mapping is being carried out and encouraged everyone to verify that their names are correctly included in the electoral roll.

A group discussion was also held, where participants actively shared their views and discussed various social and village-level issues, helping them to better understand their role and responsibility in public life. At the end of the program, Fr. Steven D’Souza proposed the vote of thanks, expressing gratitude to the organizers, resource persons, priests, and all participants who made the program meaningful and successful.