“We will fight for our human rights,” said Archbishop Bernard Moras of Bangalore after the rally held outside St Mark’s Cathedral.
“We will organise similar rallies all over the State to get across our anger and anguish. We are all united,” the Archbishop added.
The protesters were upset with the Somasekara Commission report giving a clean chit to the State government and other authorities on the church attacks of 2008. The report, compiled by a commission of inquiry led by Justice B K Somasekara, detailed 57 attacks across the State, in which churches were vandalised and church personnel assaulted.
In a pamphlet distributed at the rally, they demanded that the government reject the report and sought a CBI probe into the attacks besides demanding protection for churches.
Mallikarjuna, a teacher, travelled all the way from Hubli to attend the rally. Born a Hindu, he converted to Christianity 15 years ago. Since then, he said, he had suffered extensive discrimination. “I’ve been troubled a lot. My own father kicked me out,” he said.
There was a common perception that Christians worshipped a foreign god, he said.
“Before (I converted), I thought there were American gods and Indian gods and they were different, but it’s all about the same humanity,” he said.
Hindu groups allegedly attacked the churches in what is understood to have been a reaction to Christian conversions.
An estimated 6,000 people gathered at the rally, as busloads of supporters were brought in from outside the city. Crowds lined along MG Road for an hour and held up signs - one read “Stop terrorism against Christians.”
“We need to give them a lot of support because the government needs to know that we have every right as citizens. We have Indian passports and identities; yet we’re not allowed to follow our religion,” said Victor Alex Prasad, an evangelist.