Christians' Protest Rally Spectacular Success; Rains, People Pour in Thousands
From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore
Bangalore, Feb 21: It literally poured – both people in their thousands and unprecedented heavy showers – at the mammoth mass protest rally and candlelight vigil organized by the entire Christian community in Bangalore on Monday against Justice B K Somashekar Commission’s one-sided and biased report into the series of attacks against Churches and Places of Worship of Christians in September 2008 in Mangalore and several other districts of Karnataka.
The protest organized under the banner of Karnataka United Christian Forum for Human Rights (KUCfHR) at the St Francis Xavier Cathedral at Coles Park Road turned out to be a spectacular success with over 30,000 people, including religious priests and sisters of various Catholic Congregations as well faifhful belonging to the Catholic and all Christian denominations. The massive protest rally and prayer meeting coupled with candlelight vigil that began around 4.30 pm went off very smoothly in clockwork precision. However, with the onset of slight drizzle, the elaborate prayer service that was prepared with beautiful choir rendering by St Francis Xavier Cathedral Choir Group had to be curtailed and Bangalore Archbishop Most Rev Dr Bernard Moras, who is also the President of KUCFHR and Karnataka Region Catholic Bishops’ Council (KRCBC), delivered his presidential message explaining the reason for staging the protest rally and also the sequence of events starting with the Church attacks in September 2008.
The Archbishop pointed out that persecution of the minority community, especially the Christians, started since the change of government after the May 2008 Assembly elections. The series of well-planned, simultaneous and brutal attacks against Churches and places of worship belonging to Christians that began on September 13 and 14, 2008 in Mangalore, Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and other districts, including Bangalore and Kolar, went on till October 2008 and have been continuing.
Pointing out that over 350 attacks against Churches and places of worship belonging to Christians as well as Christians had taken place since the BJP Government assumed power, he said the ruling BJP that celebrated its 1000 days in office under the Chief Ministership of B S Yeddyurappa on Sunday, February 20, has earned the dubious distinction of the State witnessing an attack against Christians or their Churches almost every third day.
``This is in sharp contrast to the brotherly relationship and communal harmony that prevailed in the State between people of different religions in Karnataka until the BJP came to power,” he said pointing out that the law abiding nature and peaceful disposition along with the meekness of Christians was interpreted as a weakness.
The Archbishop said the Christianity in India was over 2000 year old, with St Thomas, one of the original 12 Apostles of Jesus Christ, arriving in India soon after the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. ``Christians have been part and parcel of India and have played a pioneering role in the fields of education, health-care and social service for several centuries. Christians have involved themselves in the country’s freedom struggle and had played a key role in the drafting of Indian Constitution by being the members of the Constituent Assembly,” he said pointing out that the contribution and service of Christians in the country’s progress, development and growth has been widely acknowledged and appreciated.
Archbishop Bernard Moras pointed out that the entire Christian community had serious misgivings and reservations when the Yeddyurappa regime appointed the judicial inquiry commission under the chairmanship of Justice B K Somashekara, especially its credibility and impartiality. ``We reluctantly accepted the Commission and extended fullest support and cooperation,” he said disclosing that he had ``personally accompanied Justice Somashekara to one of the places of attacks, namely to Yedavanahalli, and had explained to him about the happenings there. Justice Somashekara had promised me that he would be just and fair in all his dealings and in the reporting.”
However, the Commission gave ``a ray of hope that the culprits and organisations that plotted and executed these attacks would be identified and punished as per law” when it submitted its interim report in February last year and named ``Bajrang Dal, Sri Rama Sene, VHP and other Sangh Parivar outfits as being mainly responsible for these attacks and that the police and district administration as well as other authorities, that is to say the Government, had colluded with the perpetrators.”
``But, unfortunately, the Commission in its final report published on January 28, 2011, made a complete U-turn and gave every one a clean chit!,” he said expressing surprise that the Final Report ``indicated that no one is held responsible for these attacks. By exonerating the culprits and the organisations, the Commission has given a solemn burial to the truth. The Commission emphatically and without any qualification, exonerates again and again, both the Government and the BJP or Bajrang Dal of any involvement in the attacks,” he said.
``The terms of reference, obviously carefully framed, did not require the Commission to fix political responsibility for the attacks, much less make specific exonerations. And yet, at a dozens of places in the summary of its findings, one finds such sweeping exoneration of the BJP and the Government or any fundamentalist groups of any involvement in, or responsibility for, these attacks. The Commission does not tell who did these terrible things but goes out of its way to tell us who did not do these terrible things,” he said.
The Somashekara Commission’s ``mysterious 180 degree turn from its interim report and the final report and its recommendation to set up a Commission of Religions headed by a Registrar of Religions to regulate the activities of religions under Articles 25 and 30, exposes the sinister designs to control and subjugate religious minorities,” the Archbishop said pointing out that the State Government’s latest move to include even smaller religious minorities like Jains, Sikhs and Parsees under the purview of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment Act while removing Hindu temples from the jurisdiction of Muzrai Department clearly smacks of the ``deep and partisan designs of the Government.”
``After targeting Christians, it is the turn of even smaller religious minorities like Jains, Sikhs and Parsees. We strongly oppose and condemn any such backdoor methods to control and subjugagte all religious minorities,” he said taking sharp exception the Chief Minister’s refusal to give an appointment to meet the Bishops of Karnataka.
The Archbishop reiterated the Christian community’s unanimous demands, as voiced in the joint memorandum submitted to the Chief Minister’s office and the State Home Minister R Ashok as also the Governor H R Bhardwaj, for rejecting the Justice Somashekara Commission’s report in toto and ordering a CBI probe to bring out the truth and punish the guilty, and withdraw all the 36 cases lodged against 350 innocent Christian youth and payment of just and adequate compensation to the institutions and individuals who suffered losses in the attacks.
``We are Christians; We uphold our Constitutional Rights. It is the bounden duty of any Government in power to safeguard the Constitutional Rights of all citizens, including minorities, which is clearly articulated in Article 25. Let us not be intimidated by threats or attacks, let us boldly profess, practice and propagate our Faith. While doing so, let us respect the beliefs and sentiments of people of all other faiths and let us not in any way hurt their religious sentiments. Our Christian commitment calls for selfless service for the whole of humanity without any favour or personal gains. Let our genuine love and service draw others closer to Christ. Let them know we are Christians by our love, compassion and forgiveness,” he said.
Bishop Vasanth Kumar, CSI Moderator, in his welcome address and introductory remarks, called upon all Christians to remain united and be true followers of Jesus Christ. Rev Fr Ronnie Prabhu, KUCFHR Secretary, explained the aims, objectives and activities of the Forum. Rev Fr Faustine Lobo, Coordinator of the Protest Rally and KRCBC PRO, explained why Christians were against the Justice Somashekara Commission’s report and demanded its rejection by the Government. Rev Evangeline, Lutheran, Rev V M Samuel and Bishop Samuel Mathew of Believers Church, gave their messages. Msgr Fr S Jayanathan, Vicar General of Bangalore Archdiocese, conducted the prayer service and administered the pledge to all Christians, which was followed by a candle light vigil by all the people gathered even as the downpour started. Rev Yashwanth proposed a vote of thanks.
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