JAIPUR: Thousands joined a peace march held here on Tuesday to protest against the recent attacks on Christians in Rajasthan by the radical Hindu groups in the wake of a controversy arising out of the contents of a book. The silent march, with participants from various parts of Rajasthan holding placards and banners, reached the Assembly premises to converge into a meeting.

The peace march, held under the banner of the Rajasthan Christian Fellowship (RCF), had the active support of the human rights-dalit rights bodies and representative organizations of Muslims, Buddhist and Arya Samaj communities, the Sarvodaya movement and women's groups besides that of the trade unions and the Left parties. Despite apprehensions of attacks from Bajrang Dal and Hindu Jagran Manch, which had threatened a counter march on the day, the event passed off peacefully. The police kept a strict vigil all along the 2.5 km route from the Shaheed Smarak to the vicinity of the Assembly where the marchers were stopped.

The marchers were addressed by Raj Babbar MP, Oswald Lewis, Bishop of Jaipur, Abraham Mathai, general secretary of the All India Christian Council, leaders of the Rajasthan Muslim Forum, the Left parties, the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular).

"This is a secular fight against injustice. I am glad that the initiative for this march has been taken by people who have been fighting for human rights and justice," Bishop Lewis said addressing the gathering. "The Christian community wants to live in peace and harmony. Nobody can ignore the contributions of Christians to the country's education and health care sector," he observed.

"Christians are a community identified with service. The nation is indebted to them," Raj Babbar said. "It was an act of goondaism on the part of the State Government to send police to arrest Bishop Samuel Thomas from Noida at gun point like a criminal," he charged. Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje being a woman should show some concern for the children of the orphanages run by EMI, which were without rations, he said.

Mohan Prakash, Congress leader, said some of those who were donning the mantle of Ministers in the Raje Cabinet deserved to be in jail. The Sangh parivar elemtens were playing a dangerous game in the State by stocking the religious sentiments of the majority community, he said accusing the Government of being a party.

CPI (M) State Secretary, Vasudev, party MLA, Amra Ram, CPI Secretary Dushyant Ojha, Janata Dal (Secular) leader Arjun Dehta and Congress spokesperson, Param Navdeep Singh offered political support to Christians in their "fight against terror". The CPI (M) was the first to send its five MPs to Kota to assess the situation there. "We will not allow such attack on any religious group," Prof.Vasudev asserted.

A delegation led by Raymond Coelho, president of RCF, met Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje in her chamber and submitted a memorandum.

"We are witnessing the repetition of an organized attack on the Christian community at Kota and this time it is in the name of a book. A Minister in your Cabinet, who took the oath to work for the welfare of the people irrespective of caste or creed, is periodically accusing Christians inside the Assembly and outside," the memorandum said referring to the role of the Minister for Social Welfare and Cooperatives, Madan Dilwar, in the hate campaign.

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