M’lore: Orissa Violence – Christian Delegation Meets DC, Submits Memorandum

Pics: Dayanand Kukkaje
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (MM/SP)

Mangalore, Aug 29: A delegation of various Catholic institutions in the diocese met the district deputy commissioner M Maheshwar Rao and submitted a memorandum, urging the government to rush to the rescue of Catholics in Orissa, who are in trouble owing to communal clashes on Friday August 29.

The delegation explained, some organizations in Orissa have pointed fingers at the Christian community in connection with the killing of Swami Lakshmanananda Saraswathi and his four associates in Kandhamal district of Orissa. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) as well as the Christian community of Orissa has condemned the said attack inspite of the fact that the Christians have been targeted in Orissa after the death of the Swami, the delegation said.

The Catholics in Mangalore diocese are deeply pained to see their brothers and sisters in Orissa being targeted for no fault of theirs. They are victims of a calibrated, malicious campaign let loose by certain unruly organizations that take law into their own hands. Christians are peace loving and law abiding citizens of the nation and no less patriotic than others. The centre and states should grant the Catholics adequate protection, the delegation requested the union home minister and the chief minister of Orissa, through the DC of Dakshina Kannada.

MLAs Ramanath Rai and U T Khader, Fr Henry Madtha, Ivan D’Souza, Ronald Colaco, J S Noronha, Fr Wilson D’Souza, Fr Vincent Monteiro, Fr Swebert D’Silva, Fr Francis Almeida and others were present in the delegation.

Meanwhile, all the educational institutions being run by Catholic religious institutions were closed on today to protest against the violence unleashed against the Christian community in Orissa.