By TwoCircles.net staff reporter
New Delhi: Christians of Delhi and NCR (National Capital Region, including Delhi, Faridabad, Gurgaon and Noida) organised a mammoth rally here today to protest against ongoing anti-Christian violence in Orissa and Karnataka, to demand justice and ban on Bajrang Dal and VHP. The rally was supported by All India Christian Council.
The rally in fact marked the end of the 7-day dharna at Jantar Mantar that started on September 26.
It was a rally with a difference as it eventually proved to be a smart slap on the face of the Government machinery when the organisers announced to submit their memorandum on the Samadhi of Mahatma Gandhi, Father of the Nation instead of submitting it to the Prime Minister or Union Home Minister – indeed a novel idea that the Father of the Nation might inspire President, Prime Minister and other concerned authorities to act for their redress and deliver justice and pay heed to their demands.
The nation is celebrating the 139th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi as well as the UN Non-Violence Day, not to say of Muslim festival of Eid al-Fitr. The organisers exploited this coincidence to the hilt.
The rally marched from Jantar Mantar to Gandhi Samadhi – a long march which took one hour and a half to cover. About 200 motorcyclists, organised in two queues, were piloting the rally while the marchers were in four queues.
A number of priests and nuns, easily identifiable with their robes, along with thousands and thousands of Christian males and females left no stone unturned to make their voice heard, loud and clear.
The marchers were holding banners and placards. Some of the placards read: “We want peace and harmony in Orissa,” “Let there be peace and harmony,” “Burn hatred, not churches,” “Ban Terrorist Bajrang Dal,” “Mr. Prime Minister, Enact Article 355 Immediately.”
They also raised slogans like “We want justice,” “Stop police brutality,” “Stop Orissa violence,” “Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Isai, Aapas mein hain bhai, bhai,” “Hinduon se nahin ladayee hai, annayay ke khilaf aawaaz uthai hai.”
Most of the slogans had a pattern. For example, the slogan ‘We demand justice” was followed by “We want justice;” and the slogan “Stop violence against Christians” by “Stop burning churches,” “Stop rape of nuns and Christian women,” etc.
When the rally was approaching Gandhi Samadhi, they raised slogans in favour of other minorities especially Muslims: “Stop killing innocents” with veiled reference to the so-called Batla House encounter killings, “Stop violence against Muslims,” “Stop bloodshed.”
One important feature of the event was that the representatives of the various faiths like Hinduism, Islam and Sikhism participated in the rally.
At Gandhi Samadhi, they held a prayer meeting and recitation of the memorandum.
Swami Agnivesh, representative of Hindus, after reciting some verse from the Vedas, said, “Everybody knows who killed Gandhiji; it was the same force who is now killing Christians in Orissa today.”
Then he invoked Bapu, as Gandhiji was lovingly called: “Gandhi, aaj hum sharminda hain, tere qatil aaj bhi Orissa mein zinda hain.”
Dr. SQR Ilyas, Editor Urdu monthly Afkar-e-Milli and member Central Advisory Council Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, recited Surah Al Fatiha, explained its meaning before extending solidarity to the Christians and assuring them to fight the battle together.
A Sikh Granthi besides a Christian priest also prayed in their respective ways.
At the end of the meeting two children of the community – Praful and Ashrita (son and daughter of renowned social activist Teesta Setalvad) – in the presence of the leaders of civil society submitted the Memorandum on the Samadhi of Gandhiji.
Praful and Ashrita submitting the memorandum
The demands mentioned in the Memorandum included immediate dismissal of Orissa and Karnataka governments and imposing President rule in the two States, deploying army there, opening all the ways in the violence-hit areas for relief work and starting of distribution of relief articles; imposing ban on Bajrang Dal and VHP, whose direct hand in the Orissa violence has been found by the National Commission for Minorities, initiating CBI investigation into the murder of Swami Laxmanand Saraswati and immediate release of compensation for the relations of those killed and rendered homeless.