The Hindu : National : Christians take out protest march in Delhi

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Monday, Dec 31, 2007
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Christians take out protest march in Delhi

Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI: A large number of Christians from Delhi and the National Capital Region took out a candlelight march from the Sacred Heart Cathedral at Gole Dak Khana to Jantar Mantar here on Sunday to express solidarity with members of their community in Orissa.

Addressing the gathering, Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Sitaram Yechury said: “We are ashamed that such incidents are taking place in this country. It is sad that no senior Minister of the United Progressive Alliance Government has issued a statement on the attacks on the Christian community in the State.”

The former Prime Minister, V.P. Singh, said such incidents damaged the secular fabric of the country. Also, it was surprising that the Prime Minister has not made any statement on the attacks on Christians in Orissa, he added. Later in the evening, a Christian delegation led by Archbishop Vincent Concessao met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and explained to him the plight of Christians in the coastal State.

On Monday, the delegation will call on the Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission to request him to send a fact-finding team to Orissa. “We will also inform the Commission that a large number of villagers have been forced to seek shelter in the forest of Phulbani district.”

The delegation has demanded a compensation of Rs.5 lakh for those killed and Rs.2 lakh to the injured and re-construction of all houses that were burnt down.

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