<p>“We will fight for our human rights,” said Archbishop Bernard Moras of Bangalore after the rally held outside St Mark’s Cathedral. <br /><br />“We will organise similar rallies all over the State to get across our anger and anguish. We are all united,” the Archbishop added.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />There was a common perception that Christians worshipped a foreign god, he said.<br /><br /> “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.<br /><br />Hindu groups allegedly attacked the churches in what is understood to have been a reaction to Christian conversions.<br /><br />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.”<br /><br />“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.</p>
<p>“We will fight for our human rights,” said Archbishop Bernard Moras of Bangalore after the rally held outside St Mark’s Cathedral. <br /><br />“We will organise similar rallies all over the State to get across our anger and anguish. We are all united,” the Archbishop added.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />There was a common perception that Christians worshipped a foreign god, he said.<br /><br /> “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.<br /><br />Hindu groups allegedly attacked the churches in what is understood to have been a reaction to Christian conversions.<br /><br />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.”<br /><br />“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.</p>
