All roads seemed to be leading to St Joseph's Indian High School grounds in Bangalore, India, on the morning of 11th November 1998. About 1.5 lakh of Christians from various parts of the city and from rural parishes marched to this venue in prayerful procession for a Peace Rally - a massive show (click on the thumbnails for larger photographs)of solidarity to protest against the increasing atrocities against the Christian community in different parts of the country. Christians belonging to various denominations such as the Roman Catholics, the Orthodox Church, Church of South India, Methodists, Baptists, Pentecostals, united under the banner of the All India United Christian Voice to raise their voice against the violence being unleashed against the community, to condemn in particular the rape of Christian nuns in Jhabua in Madhya Pradesh.
"There is a necessity to protest against such atrocities. Christians love to maintain peace as taught in the Bible, but let no one interpret it as our weakness", said Archbishop elect of Bangalore, Ignatius Pinto. He called the rape of the nuns as a "bad tune in a good music", and as a humiliation for the whole motherland, for which we should bend our heads in shame.
Mr F.T.R. Colaco, former Karnataka Director General of Police and the President of the All India United Christian Voice explained the purpose of the rally and said that they are not against any particular organization; he appealed to non-Christians and the State and the Central Governments to provide Christians with justice. Justice Bopanna, former High Court Judge of Karnataka spoke on the constitutional and legal issues involved in the atrocities. Mr H.S. Doreswamy, President of the Gandhi Peace Foundation expressed his solidarity with Christians in condemning such heinous crimes as the rape of the nuns. Archbishop Peter Prabhu, Papal Nuncio to Zimbabwe, also spoke on the occasion.
Some of the other dignitaries who addressed the rally were: Mr Alan Nazareth, former Indian Ambassador in Japan, Egypt etc, Bishop Vasanth Kumar of the CSI Central Diocese, Msgr. T. Jebamalai Vicar General of Bangalore. While two lecturers expressed their feelings of anguish at the situation of violence against Christian leaders and institutions, three of the former students of Christian institutions - two Hindus and one Muslim openly declareed what they gained from the Christian schools and colleges, and condemned the kind of treatment meted out to such peace loving and service minded persons by some of our people.
The rally was a tremendous success. It was a great demonstration by the peace loving Christian community and is reaction to the atrocities perpetrated on it by some fundamentalist organizations and institutions. It was truly an ecumenical effort with all the Churches ~ Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox participating wholeheartedly.
Return to the topSubmitted by a mass rally of Christians and well-wishers held at Bangalore on 11th November 1998.
TO: HIS EXCELLENCY, THE GOVERNOR OF KARNA'I'AKA & THE HON’BLE CHIEF MINISTER OF KARNATAKA
for onward transmission to:
THE PRESIDENT OF INDIA & THE PRIME MINISTER OF INDIA
Sirs,
We express to you our deep concern and apprehension at the alarming rise in vituperation of the fundamentalist forces in the country in the last few months. Although a large number of the majority community do not share the ideology and action of the fundamentalists, this small group, which is bent upon sowing seed of disharmony and hatred, can send danger signals to the minority Christian community. The present trend can adversely affect the nation as a whole in the fields of economic and social development in our pluralistic society.
The atrocities being committed against Christians are not merely isolated instances but form part of a grand, scheme of events meant to subdue and intimidate the minority community. In addition to the brutalities unleashed by these evil forces, the utterances of certain personalities in the extremist organisations have fuelled the rise in communal passions. It is agonising to read reports of the digging out of a dead body from the cemetery and throwing it in to the courtyard of the house of a Pastor, of burning Holy Bibles, desecrating and destroying churches and assaulting Christian workers, molesting, nuns, issuing threatening letters to Christian Schools, interfering with the practice and worship of Christians etc. We wonder what they gain out of all these acts except harvesting the fruits of hatred - which is more hatred.
We have reliable reports of the complacence of the law enforcement forces and their reluctance to file charges when atrocities are reported as the accused are sheltered by some elements in the Government machinery and the politicians.
In spite of complaints about the persecution in various parts of Karnataka made to the authorities - including the Governor - there has been laxity on the part of the State to react, respond and rectify. The chief strength of any democracy lies in the security of its smallest minority - this basic tenet has been ignored by our rulers.
Tampering with the established education policy and attempting to eliminate the rights and privileges of the minorities are only examples of the sinister scheme of the evil forces. A lot needs to be done to improve the compulsory and universal primary education from the present one-teacher primary schools with minimal physical facilities. Any change in existing policy must come out of consensus and consultation.
Historically the entry of Christianity into the country 2000 years ago can be likened to the entry of Aryans into India. The motive was and is to spread the gospel of peace. All these years all the communities have coexisted peacefully living in a pluralistic society and adapting to the local culture.
The current hostility of the self-styled desh bhakths towards the Christians, stews from a pardonable ignorance about their biblical faith and what truly motivates the Christians: LOVE AND CHARITY to our neighbors. The extent of the selfless service that this community has rendered to Indian society has been commendably under - chronicled due to our reluctance to blow our collective trumpet. We have served our brothers and sisters in India, with special focus on the poor and the under privileged, as a natural expression of our spiritual vocation. Mother Theresa's example of selfless service stands unmatched, acclaimed world wide as a "saint of the gutters" and, as our own President H.E. Dr. K. R. Narayanan so evocatively stated, we are fortunate to have lived in the same century as this unequalled icon of Christian love and compassion.
For hundreds of years Christians have worked towards social reformation and spread of' education. We deplore the forceful conversion. of any one from one religion to another. Genuine conversion is inspired by God and is a spiritual experience that transforms him or her into a different person with a spiritual perspective in life.
The Dalit Christians are especially agitated with the treatment meted out to them. Discrimination against the Dalits and tribals on the basis of their faith should immediately be stopped. There has been an inordinate delay by the Govermnent in rendering justice to the Dalit Christians
The recent tragedy at Jhabua and the Goebblesian pronouncements of the exalted political luminaries of the present Government have shocked and hurt all the Christian and secular forces in our country.
The duty of our government is, to protect the voiceless and the helpless. Instead we find the truth grossly distorted by several leaders including the Hon'ble Home Minister of India. We can only say that TRUTH WILL TRIUMPH.
Our appeal and demands to you are nine fold:
Let there be an effort to break barriers and to work unitedly for a prosperous India.
JAI HIND
Read out and approved at a mass rally held on 11th November 1998 at St. Joseph's Indian High School, Bangalore.
Signatories:
And thousand of others."
(* Actually it would be over a 2,00,000, the number of people who came for the Rally)
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