Mangalore: Mammoth Rally held to protest against Justice Somashekar Commission Report

By Dr. Eugene DSouza, Moodubelle
Bellevision Media Network

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Mangalore, 20 February 2011: The city of Mangalore witnessed an unprecedented unique form of protest, around one lakh of Christians and secular minded people marching with black flags in hand and a black cloth tied to their mouth, indicating silent protest march from the Jyothi Circle to the Central Grounds on Sunday, 20th February 2011 from 3 pm organized by the Catholic Diocese of Mangalore together with different Churches and secular minded associations. It took around one and a half hour for the entire silent procession to reach the Central Ground where a huge stage was put up. Christians belonging to different denominations and Catholics from various parishes had come in large numbers in hired vehicles to attend this historic rally.

 

The silent protest march was launched by Most Rev. Dr. Aloysius Paul D’Souza, Bishop of Mangalore by carrying the ‘black protest flag’. He handed over the flag symbolically to Most Rev. Dr. Geevargheese Mar Divannasious, Bishop of Puttur Diocese who in turn handed over it to lay Christian leaders. The protest marchers with flag in their hands and mouth covered with black cloth marched in three lines in a most disciplined manner. Christians from different denominations and parishes carried banners and placards denouncing the Justice Somashekar Commission Report on the attack on Christian places of worship in 2008 and demanding the CBI inquiry into the issue.

 

When the mammoth procession converged into the Central Ground, the huge gathering looked like a sea of humanity with black flags fluttering in the gentle evening breeze. A large number of priests and religious sisters were assembled in front of the stage. The mammoth gathering comprised of the representatives from the Catholic Diocese of Mangalore, the Catholic Syro-Malabar Diocese of Belthangady, the Catholic Syro-Malankara Diocese of Puttur, the Church of South India (CSI)-Karnataka Southern Diocese, the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, the Malankara Syrian Jacobite Church and the Marthoma Church. Besides these, the New Generation Churches united under Karnataka Missions Network comprising of  24 different churches, seven Christian organizations, seven secular organizations including People’s Union of Civil Liberties (PUCL), Karnataka Komu Sauharda Vedike, Muslim Okkoota, Udupi District and Udupi Zilla Alpasankhyatara Vedike.

 

The eminent persons present on this occasion were: Bishop of Mangalore, Dr. Aloysius Paul D’Souza, Dr. John Sadananda, Bishop of CSI Karnataka, Southern Diocese, Dr. Lawrence Mukkuzhy, Bishop of Belthangady Diocese, Dr. Geevargheese Mar Divannasious, Bishop of Puttur Diocese and Mr. Oscar Fernandes, Member of the Rajya Sabha.

 

The mammoth gathering of the protestors was first addressed by Mrs. Mariamma Thomas, a Human Rights Activist and Catholic leader who traced the circumstances that led to the attacks on the churches and places of Christian worship last year on September 14 and 15, 2008 and inhuman treatment that was meted out to the peaceful protestors against the attack. She also pointed out the circumstances that led to the Justice Somashekar Commission Report which is nothing but a report to please the government which had spent over Rs.11 crores in bringing out this report that practically absolves the perpetrators of the attack on the peaceful Christians and the government which had shirked from its responsibility of protecting the peaceful citizens.

 

Brother Walter J. Maben, President of   the Karnataka Mission Network in a thundering voice said that the Christians are disappointed that the Justice Somashekar Commission has failed to name and pin point the attackers on the churches with the plea of lack of evidence, which is incorrect. He emphasised the fact that, the attacks were pre-meditated and not spontaneous as claimed by the government; the government is fully responsible for these attacks which could have been prevented;  in spite of the oral evidence given by the victims and witnesses, the pictures and videos and the telecast clippings of the media, the Commission has failed to give justice to the Christians; there had been false accusations of conversion by force, coercion or enticement.

 

Further, Brother Walter said that in the Interim report of the Commission submitted to the government in 2010, the Commission had specifically named who the attackers were and the role of the police in shielding the attackers apart from they themselves being involved in these attacks. However, in the final report these findings have been glossed over. Speaking further Brother Walter thundered “We believe that the Commission is fully aware of who the attackers are and also the atrocities committed by the police. But, it deliberately closed its eyes to the truth. So, we consider the findings of this Commission is just an eye-wash as desired by the government especially trying to exonerate the known attackers and their sympathisers in the government.”

 

 

 

Bishop of Mangalore, Dr. Aloysius Paul D’Souza was the last to address the mammoth gathering of the protestors. Quoting from the Gospel the ‘Sermon on the Mount’, the Bishop said. “Trusting in these words of Jesus we have assembled in thousands in this ground asking for justice. We have gathered here to protest against injustice done to us and to demand justice.”

 

Speaking further, Dr. Aloysius Paul D’Souza said that the Christians constitute hardly two percent of the Indian population. However, their contribution in the field of education amounts to 22 percent. He also pointed out the contribution of Christians in the field of health and social service sector. When the Christians contribute their best for the growth of the society and the development of the nation why they were attacked?

 

The Bishop pointed out that  in September 2008 and in subsequent months of 2008 and 2009, 57 churches and places of worship of Christians in 10 districts of Karnataka were attacked and said that this figure has been mentioned in the Commission’s Report. Most of the attacks had taken place in the coastal districts of Karnataka. Instead of identifying the culprits and recommending legal action on them the Commission recommended legislation to regulate the activities of the Christian pastors. He further said that in spite of the attacks on the Christians by the fundamentalist organizations, the faith of the Christians has been very strong.

 

At the end of the rally, Fr. Onil D’Souza, Director of Canara Organization for Development and Peace (CODP)  read out the summary of the Memorandum to be submitted to the Government of Karnataka which the protestors approved with thunderous voice. Thereafter, the Bishop of Mangalore, Dr. Aloysius Paul D’Souza submitted the memorandum to Mr. R. Ramesh, the Deputy Commissioner of Police.

 

By 5.20 pm, the protest rally was over and the over a lakh strong protestors dispersed in an orderly manner. From St. Lawrence Parish Moodubelle, eighty five people had participated in the rally under the leadership of Fr. Joswey Fernandes, the parish priest along with Fr. Paul Sequeira and Fr. Lancy Saldanha.