Christians hold peace march in Bhubaneswar

BHUBANESWAR, FEB 6: About 5,000 Christians of the City took out a peace march on Saturday, appealing the President and the State Governme...

BHUBANESWAR, FEB 6: About 5,000 Christians of the City took out a peace march on Saturday, appealing the President and the State Government for safety and security to the minority community, Christians in particular.

Assembled under the banner Bhubaneswar Christian Community’ (BCC), they submitted a memorandum to the President and the State Government demanding a ban on individuals and organisations responsible for communal disharmony and conflict in any form. They also demanded protection for all places of Christian worship, educational institutions and hospitals from any possible attack or damage. In the memorandum, BCC president B K Muduli, said the community is greatly pained to see the country’s churches experiencing hardship in the form of religious fanaticism, violence and social injustice.

Such occurrences also threaten peace, communal harmony and the emotional integrity of India. The Government should declare a specific action plan to provide safety and security to the Christians, he said. Healso demanded an enquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the Manoharpur incident.

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He added that the attacks are clearly aimed at Christian workers, churches and the community in general. He said Christians do not support forced and induced conversions or proselytisation in any form.

Religious liberty exists for people of all faiths and no community should coerce an individual into conversion or re-conversion, he added saying that it is a person’s constitutional right to practice and preach his own faith.

Baripada: The graves of Australian missionary Dr Graham Stewart Staines and his two sons reportedly caught fire on Thursday evening. However, the cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.

At about 7.30 pm, the locals found flames on the graves of the Staines at the Baptist graveyard. They reported the matter to the police and the fire brigade personnel, who put out the fire. However, police personnel were deployed at the spot through the night.

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Police sources said the fire couldhave been caused by incense sticks that visitors to the Staines’ graves had offered.