The All India Christian Council (AICC) group said Christians and representatives from other religions and parties would participate in the rally Saturday, September 20, in Vijayawada, the third largest city in India’s southern state of Andhra Pradesh.
"Over 25,000 attendees are expected. Several political parties have confirmed their participation and Sikhs, Buddhists, progressive Hindus, and Muslims – including members of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, one of India ’s largest Muslim organisations – will join the demonstration," the AICC told BosNewsLife in a statement.
Over one hundred churches were burned and thousands of Christians attacked in six states across India in recent weeks, AICC said. Most of the violence occurred in Orissa, where some 45 Christians, including several church leaders, were killed and five more were still missing, Christian sources said.
THOUSANDS AFFECTED
About 50,000 people from 300 villages have been affected by the violence, with hundreds still hiding in forests, and 4,000 houses and 115 churches burned or destroyed, according to church estimates. Tens of thousands of people have been displaced and many are huddled into squalid refugee camps.
The violence began following the assassination of Hindu leader Laxmanananda Saraswati, and four of his followers in Orissa’s Kandhamal district on August 23. Although Maoists reportedly claimed responsibility for the murder, Hindu militants blamed local Christians, saying they killed him because he was resisting conversion of Hindus to Christianity.
Violence has also spread to other states, including Karnataka, BosNewsLife established. In Karnataka, at least 17 churches were vandalised in four districts, Christian rights investigators said. The majority of attacks occurred on Sunday, September 14 in coastal areas. "In the last week, Christians or Christian properties were also sporadically attacked in Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, and Jharkhand," states, AICC said.
The group said Saturday’s rally would aim "to urge civil society and Indian citizens of goodwill to insist the state governments arrest people behind the anti-Christian violence."
HINDU LEADERS
AICC Secretary General John Dayal condemned Hindu leaders for allegedly saying that "unprovoked attacks against Christians involved in ‘converting’ Hindus are regrettable, but understandable." Dayal said that "regardless of religious differences, mature leaders should unconditionally condemn the murder of any Indian citizen – including Christians."
He added that recent acts of terrorism proved that religious extremists have been attempting to force change in society. "This includes recent bombings in Delhi, Ahmedabad, and Bangalore , allegedly by extremist Muslims. But it also includes attacks on Dalit Christian homes and worship places in Orissa and the string of premeditated attacks on churches in Karnataka beginning last Sunday."
The AICC said it welcomed the central government’s decision to implement Article 355 of the Constitution which gives it wide security powers to halt the spread of anti-Christian violence in several areas. The group said it would ask the government to extend Article 355 to Madhya Pradesh "due to a lack of response by state government officials."
"DEEPLY SADDENED"
AICC President Joseph D’souza said his organization has been "deeply saddened" by the authorities’ response in states such as Karnataka. "Certain politicians called for investigations into foreign funding of Christian ministries and said there is "no place for forced conversions in a democracy." If the situation weren’t so serious, these statements would be laughable. Indian Christians are united against forced or induced conversions – they are not Biblical and don’t produce true believers," he said.
"Calling for an investigation targeted only at ministries still smoldering from arson by roving gangs is the ultimate insult. It insults the rule of law and non-sectarian justice which the state is supposed to uphold," he added. The attacks are no isolated incidents. From December 24, 2007 to January 2, this year, at least four Christians were killed in Orissa and over 105 churches and 730 Christian homes destroyed, according to AICC estimates.
Most of the victims were Dalits, formerly known as untouchables, the ‘lowest’ caste in India’s ancient system of Hinduism. Previously, the largest attack on Christians was in The Dangs District of Gujarat state where some 30 churches were burned over Christmas 1998. (With reports from BosNewsLife Correspondents from the region).
