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Vancouver: Indian Community Holds Peace Rally in Support of Christians in India

  •   Tue, Oct 28 2008 02:33:57 PM

Report by Joselyn and Meera Nazareth
Pics by Sujay Nazareth
Daijiworld Media Network - Vancouver (SP)

Vancouver, Oct 28: The Indian community of the lower mainland of British Columbia held a peace rally on Saturday October 25, outside the Vancouver Art Gallery at the Georgia Street entrance. This Rally was in support of the Christians in India who have been suffering persecution for their faith. Of late, there have been a number of incidents in the states of Orissa, Karnataka, Kerala and Madhya Pradesh in India that have left several dead and a number of Christians injured. The injured as well as the dead include lay faithfuls in addition to priests, nuns and other religious clergy.

The violence has been getting worse and little has been done to curb the violence. Churches have been burnt or damaged through acts of arson and vandalism. Sacred books, statues and sacraments that are considered to be important to Christians were destroyed. Christians in the states affected by violence are living in constant fear and those living in other states too fear that the violence and intolerance will be spreading to their states soon.

No protection of any kind has been provided to the affected Christian community in India. In fact, there has been evidence of the police and other state agents working in connivance with the perpetrators of these crimes, pushing the Christian community to further distress.

Peace rallies have been organized throughout the world by the Christian faithful, who stand in solidarity with their brothers and sisters in India, suffering under this injustice and persecution. In Vancouver, Christians of all denominations as well as some Hindu brethren were in attendance at the rally organized for this cause. The event started with a procession around the entrance of the Art Gallery. Sharmila Rego was the master of ceremony, at whose request, a local pastor, Fr Daniel Hilson and Cleto Dos Remedios led the prayer. Various members of the Christian community in addition to Sharmila Rego, Nigel Vincent, Shakuntala and John D’Souza spoke out against the unfortunate events happening in India. The NDP MLA for Vancouver Kingsway Adrian Dix delivered a message of peace.

The president of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops Fr V James Weisgerber, archbishop of Winnipeg, has written a letter to the Canadian Prime Minister Steven Harper, about the plight of the Christians in India and urged him to take up this issue with his counterpart in India.  This letter was read out to the public by Cleto Dos Remedios.

As the rally drew to a close, a signature campaign was taken up in which, hundreds of people signed a petition addressed to the Prime Minister of India as well as the Indian high commission in Canada, urging them to intervene and bring back peace and security that the Indian Christians have been hoping and praying for.

This rally was organized as per the initiative taken up by Josephine Chauhan, supported by Cleto Dos Remedios, Meera and Sujay Nazareth, Louis and Evelyn D'Cunha.

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    Comment on this article

    • Rajesh, Udupi

      Thu, Oct 30 2008

      I thought BJP & Co. was a party of the upper cast and of saraswat brahmins too... I am mistaken... There are very many and large population that holds that Christians are people Born in the same land drink the same water and breath the same air and till the same soil and contribute to the life and love of the land called India, Orissa, Karnataka, MP, Gujarath and all the states where Christians are persecuted.... FOR THEY PROFESS A FAITH THAT IS CALLED DIFFERENT AND PRACTICED DIFFERENT... AND NOT CALLED HINDU AS BJP & CO. ( VHP/RSS/BD/RAMA SENE, XYZ PARTY...) who are pure power outfits and do not mean a grain of what they say on religion...

      Christians are here and are not visitors and we can not chase them off... as some may wish for political reasons and power play.... Christians are not a political force, christians are not protesters, christians are possibly the good leaders, good neighbours, good friends, good well wishers of the people, brothers and sisters the Indians... CHRISTIANS CAN NOT BE SEPARATED FROM THE SOCIETY AS THEY ARE A PART OF IT AND VERY MUCH... Peace of christians will help India prosper to power that sane Indians wish to attain....

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    • Lawrence, Mangalore / Dubai

      Wed, Oct 29 2008

      Dear Manohar Kamath, Udupi. Thank you so much for your concern. How nice if every one would have thought same as you. If so India would have been No.1 in the world by massive developments. Now people are scared to put money in India.

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    • Ronald, barkur

      Wed, Oct 29 2008

      The balmy words of Manohar Kamath will go a long way in soothing many a Christian heart. Mr Kamath is surely a man of great moral courage. If more Indians come out and rally behind the minorities, the BJP leadership will have to abandon their existing evil strategy against the minorities in the hope of increasing their Votebank.

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    • ronald, barkur

      Tue, Oct 28 2008

      The balmy words of Santosh Kamath will go a long way in soothing many a Christian heart. Mr Kamath is surely a man of great moral courage. If more Indians come out and rally behind the minorities, the BJP leadership will have to abandon their existing evil strategy against the minorities in the hope of increasing their Votebank.

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    • Gerry D'Mello, Bendur / Canada

      Wed, Oct 29 2008

      Dear Josephine Chauhan, Cleto Dos Remedios, Meera-Sujay Nazareth and Louis-Evelyn D'Cunha, hats off to you guys for taking a leadership on behalf of the Indian Community residing in Vancouver/Canada to organize a protest rally in support of Christians in India. We were truly thrilled to go through the wonderful coverage & photographs on the one & only web-portal Daijiworld.com. Undoubtedly you have  done a stupendous job. We truly appreciate your bold initiative. Keep it up dear brothers & sisters. We are proud of you!

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    • Canute Pinto Mangalore/Dubai,

      Wed, Oct 29 2008

      Our politicians often praise India’s moon mission and its achievement comparing to the western countries. Our politicians must aware of western and European human rights. They must know how Hindus are treated with respect in those countries and they must realize the religious freedom and security which is given to them.

      Their human rights records are on the top and ours is in the bottom. We achieved our goal to the moon but our human rights are still under the deep sea. If you want to compare, compare it from every angle. We reached moon but our humility is far from the civilization. “In one hand success story of moon and in other hand full of innocents khoon(blood). “Abi hamara hai ho dhoor kha chanda, lekin dhesh ke khanoon abi thak hai andha.” Mamoo…. jago re jago re jagoo…..khanoon kho be ek rocket lagavo.

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    • Manohar Kamath, Udupi

      Wed, Oct 29 2008

      It feels very consoling that people over the world recognize the human rights of our Christian brothers and sisters in India. We should have been the first one to protect & support them but we have betrayed our own country by persecuting minorities because of their religion. It is time we asked pardon from Christians for causing them so much suffering, and also spoiling the name of our country. It's all the game of BJP & RSS who use our ignorant & gullible people to persecute minorities.

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    • San, Mangalore

      Wed, Oct 29 2008

      I think communities here need to work more then just protesting. Even though it is a great deed. The communities here with the leaders need need to work on getting VHP and Bajarang Dal banned as terrorist organizations by the US and Canadian govt which will lead to the stop the huge sum of funds reaching these organizations from USA and Canada which finances them to run the violence. The community bureaucrats please give a thought to this.

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    • Ronald, barkur

      Wed, Oct 29 2008

      The care and concern shown by the Indians in foreign countries are to be gratefully acknowledged and warmly appreciated. They certainly foster awareness among foreigners of the problems faced by Christians in India and give importance to their cause. However, the real difficulty is that the average Indian does not get exposure to such news except through Daijiworld, since it is not read by most Indians, especially the uneducated lot, who are mostly responsible for the attrocities against the Christians.

      It is therefore important that multi-religious rallies are also organised in India, These again, may have to be initiated at the behest of Christian Community leaders. What is more desirable is the initiation of the same under non-Christian initiative and leadership. When this happens, there is every chance that the attrocities against Christians will decrease rather than increase or remain unchanged

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    • Mario Andrew Rodrigues, India

      Wed, Oct 29 2008

      Well appreciated and thanks for showing concern.

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