Bangalore: Students, Activists, Secular Forces Gather to Protest Orissa Carnage
News: Melwyn Pinto, Pics: Johnson Rajkumar
Daijiworld Media Network – Bangalore (MR)
Bangalore, Aug 30: Bangalore Citizens Forum (BCF) – a civil society organisation – in collaboration with a number of NGO’s and Christian education institutions of Bangalore held a public rally and a candle light vigil near Mahatma Gandhi statue here on Friday August 29, to protest against the communal attacks on Christians in Orissa. Over a thousand people, including students, activists, priests and religious took an active part in the rally, making it a huge success.
Speaking at the rally, Ruth Manorama of Women’s Voice and a winner of Alternative Nobel prize said that national integrity was at stake in Orissa. “The government is saying that the situation is under control; but it is not true. People are still living under fear. The state must protect minorities and create a congenial atmosphere for all to live a peaceful life,” she said.
Fr Ambrose Pinto, Principal, St Joseph’s College said: “The violence in Orissa is an attack not on a particular community, but it is an attack on the Constitution of our country itself, for it upholds secularism and pluralism. It is not just violence on human rights but genocide.”
Fr Pinto reiterated that all citizens must to be ensured basic human and fundamental rights. Hence all must strive to guarantee collective human rights more than individual rights. The genocide should be investigated not just by the CBI but by an international law enforcing agency, he added.
Patapat Nagaraj of Praja Vimochana Chaluvali urged all those who care for secularism and pluralism to fight communal forces tooth and nail. “We must unite to fight communal forces head on, especially when dalits and minorities are targeted,” he said.
K. Umesh of CITU condemned the statement of the Primary and Secondary Education Minister of the state who has warned Christian institutions of dire consequences for having closed schools and colleges today. “It is indeed a height of ignorance and insanity on the part of the ‘honourable’ minister to make such a ridiculous statement when right to protest peacefully is a fundamental right,” Umesh said.
BCF condemned the happenings in Orissa and urged the Prime Minister and the Orissa Chief Minister not to be ‘silent spectators in this attack on India’s secularism and pluralism’. “There is a need to probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation into the entire chain of events since the killing of VHP leader for establishing the truth, arrest of culprits and trial by a special court, rehabilitation of riot-hit people, rescue the people in hiding and immediate measure by the Centre and state government to end violence,” the statement said.
As many as 30 NGOs, secular bodies, educational institutions took part in the rally.