US rally protests violence on Indian Christians

Keeping no account of caste or creed, people of different sects in Philadephia, joined a rally protesting violence against Christians in India.

The rally demanded stern action by the Indian government against those responsible for attacks on minorities, especially the tribals in Orissa.

Led by Rev Biju Thomas of St Thomas Evangelical Church of Philadelphia and Fr Jacob Christy of St Thomas Syro–Malabar Catholic Church of Philadelphia, protesters carried playcards that read "Stop Religious Persecution in India," "We Want Justice," "Protection for Christians".

"Despite numerous pleas for help, the Indian Government has not sufficiently responded to the situation," said the pamphlets distributed by the organisers.

The rally began with a prayer followed by singing of American and Indian national anthems, and a special prayer by pastors and priests for the "persecuted and the persecutors."

The rally ended with the chanting of "We Shall Overcome" in English, Malayalam, Tamil, Hindi and Gujarati which was specifically chosen to symbolise their faith and belief that the situation would normalise and peace will prevail in India, PTI quoted the organisers saying.

Coevally another peace rally was held in Vancouver, to show solidarity with persecuted Christians in India.

The president of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops Reverend V. James Weisgerber, Archbishop of Winnipeg has written a letter to the Canadian Prime Minister Steven Harper about the plight of Christians in India and urging him to bring up this matter with his counterpart in India.

Hundreds of people signed a petition addressed to the Prime Minister of India as well as the Indian High Commission in Canada, requesting their intervention in the ensuing violence.

Christians in Orissa and Karnataka have been victims of violence by Hindu hardliners protesting forceful conversions and avenging the murder of a VHP leader in Kandhamal district. Over 300 churches were burnt in the mayhem that was unequivocally condemned by foreign governments.