Nation before faith, pledges rally for amity PANAJI: Our nation first, then our faiths and regional identities; and regardless of our religious diversity, in unity we will fight the scourge of communalism in the country. That was the gist of what speakers from different faiths, mixed with sentiments of hurt and anxiety expressed at the solidarity rally on Tuesday.
In one of the largest assemblies in recent times, over 7,000 people from all corners of the state converged on Azad Maidan, Panaji, to protest the communal violence in Orissa and Karnataka. Among them was the Archbishop of Goa and Daman, Rev Filipe Neri Ferrao, religious and political leaders who came to express their solidarity with the victims. Braving the fierce sun-and later pouring rain-the crowd listened as speakers from various faiths expressed dismay at the failure of the state and central governments in protecting the minorities in India. Organised by the Council for Social Justice and Peace in collaboration with the Inter-Faith Dialogue for Life, the meeting ended with a statement on "Combating the Malignancy of Communalism". In part the statement read, "We, the citizens of India, demand from the Centre and the state governments that the constitutional rights to freedom of life and religion of the citizens in our secular country be protected by the concerned authorities by stringently exercising all the powers vested in them." It demanded setting up of an independent commission comprising citizens of integrity and invested with a broad mandate to study the patterns of communalism in India. The commission would recommend systems for containing further breakouts and restoration of national security, public peace and communal harmony. It also demanded that state authorities urgently initiate a well defined dialogue among groups on confrontation paths, so as to build conditions of security, justice and harmony. It also demanded the immediate setting up of a state minorities' commission. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Goa/Nation_before_faith_pledges_rally _for_amity/articleshow/3491984.cms ~(^^)~ Avelino
