02/03/2020 India (International Christian Concern) – At least 30,000 Christians in India’s Karnataka state gathered at a rally yesterday to reaffirm their “loyalty to India, to the Constitution, and the Christian faith.” The rally comes at a time when India is being divided along religious lines by the radical Hindu nationalists.

The rally was named the “Catholic Maha Samavesha-2020” and participants formed a long “unity procession” that started from Madanthyar’s city center and ended in front of the Sacred Heart Cathedral. According to Asia News, hundreds of church leaders attended the rally that gathered at least 30,000 participants.

Speaking to the rally, Msgr. Peter Paul Saldanha, Bishop of Mangalore, said, “We are Indians. In Mangaluru, we have a 450-year history of living peacefully, respectfully, and not doing any hurt to others as followers of Jesus Christ.”

“At the same time, we believe in our Constitution,” Msgr. Saldanha continued. “We live for our country.”

The rally in southern India comes at a time when religious intolerance is at an all-time high. Radical Hindu nationalists, who believe India should be a Hindu nation, view religious minorities, including Christians, with suspecting and often label them “foreigners”. Because of this false narrative, attacks on Christians and their places of worship have more than doubled in recent years.

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