From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, Nov 19: Inclement weather and incessant rains in the city since the last few days has forced postponement of the rally by the Christian community under the leadership of Metropolitan Archbishop of Bangalore Archdiocese Most Rev Dr Peter Machado scheduled to be held on Friday evening to a later date.
However, a delegation led the Archbishop submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, which was received by the Bengaluru Urban Deputy Commissioner Manjunath, demanding cancellation of the government order for conducting a survey of Christian missionaries and establishments in the State and also not to table the proposed anti-conversion bill in the forthcoming legislature session.
The protest rally was planned under the joint auspices of the All Karnataka United Christian Forum for Human Rights (AKUCFHR) and the Karnataka Region Catholic Bishops’ Council (KRCBC), both of which are headed by Archbishop Machado.
“The entire Christian Community in Karnataka opposes the proposal of Anti-Conversion Bill in one voice and questions the need for such an exercise when sufficient laws and court directives are in place to monitor any aberration of the existing laws,’’ the memorandum said.
It pointed out that the Indian Constitution Article 25 very clearly says, "Freedom of conscience and free profession, practice and propagation of religion subject to public order, morality and health’’ while Article 26 says that all denominations can manage their own affairs in matters of religion.
“Therefore, introducing such anti-conversion laws would infringe the rights of the citizens, especially of the minority communities,’’ the memorandum said.
It also pointed out that the Backward Classes and Minorities Welfare Department of Government of Karnataka have issued an order to conduct a survey of both official and non-official Christian Missionaries and the Institutions and Establishments functioning in the State.
“When all the relevant data is already available (through the census) with the Government, why do we need yet another futile exercise? Why only Christian community is targeted and marked for this arbitrary, fallacious and illogical move? What is the motive that is driving them to do so?’’ the memorandum asked.
Thousands of schools, colleges and hospitals are run and managed by Christian Community across the State. When lakhs of students are graduating from these institutions year after year and thousands of patients irrespective of caste, creed and colour receive the best medical attention from our hospitals and care centers, let the Government prove that even one of them has ever been influenced, compelled or coerced to change his or her religion, the memorandum said.
It further said anti-conversion bill would become a tool for the fringe elements to take law into their own hands and vitiate the atmosphere with communal unrest in the otherwise peaceful State, and has strongly urged the Chief Minister and the Cabinet not to promote such an undesirable and discriminatory bill in the interest of the peace and harmony in the society.