By Pervez Bari, TwoCircles.net
Indore: While the Global Investors’ Summit is underway here at Indore, the financial capital of central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, with delegates from all over India and abroad the image of the Bharatiya Janata Party ruled State Government got a beating when five Christian nuns were physically assaulted by Hindu extremists wherein all of them were injured on October 25 night. One of them is said to be reportedly serious.
After the Christian community in Madhya Pradesh decided to hold a hunger strike at Indore the higher officials involved into the matter and police registered FIR late last night.
The Christians have decided a “Dharna” (sit-in) and hunger strike tomorrow on October 28 here to protest the incident.
An emergency meeting of the Diocesan Education Committee took strong objection to the apathy of the state and district administration. Education Secretary Sr. Christie said: “As a mark of protest we will close all our educational institutions in Indore, Dhar, Manpur, Dewas and nearby districts. “If the government did not arrest the culprits then we will intensify our protests in the due course of time”, she added.
It may be pointed out here that five sisters of the Franciscan Claris Congregation on their way back from a prayer meeting in a Catholic House were attacked with sticks by Hindu fundamentalist Dharm Raksha Samiti workers on Thursday night (October 25). They accused the sisters of alluring people to conversion. The incident took place at Raseli in Nai Basti in Bhagirathpura locality of Indore.
The sisters who were beaten up are: Sr. Jincy (40), Sr. Sayujia (27), Sr. Pavitra (26), Sr. Sweta (26) and Sr. Anna Maria (27). They were dragged and their clothes were torn, one of the Sisters reportedly said. All of them are injured in the attack, the condition of Sr. Jincy is said to be serious with head injuries. She is still in the hospital. First they were taken to M.Y. Hospital and then to Bhandari Hospital.
Sr. Sayujia’s leg has been broken. Sr. Jincy has seven stitches in her head. Srs. Pavithra, Shwetha and Anna Maria were also injured.
Sr. Jincy denied any sort of allurement to convert anybody into Christianity. She said: “We had gone to attend the Rosary Prayer at Mr. Anil‘s house. Mr. Anil is a catholic by birth and the driver of our convent.”
While Dharma Raksha Samiti convenor Kamal Waghela charged: “Sisters have done conversion in the locality and they have allured people to accept Christian faith. The people who came to meet sisters after the prayer picked up a quarrel on this issue which led to a clash between the sisters and our workers.”
Responding to these allegations the spokesperson for the Catholic Diocese of Indore said: “It is nothing but finding an easy way to justify the brutality done to women religious, we will fight it out tooth and nail.”
Meanwhile, Archbishop Dr. Leo Cornelio, Chairman Catholic Bishops Council of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, reacted very sharply to the allegations of conversion and attack on the sisters. He said: “We have been suffering silently but it looks that the fundamental organizations take it as a weakness from our part. It is an attack on women and human freedom. He called on people of goodwill to take exception to this cruelty lashed out at the weaker sections”.
An emergency meeting of the Christian leaders were called in Bhopal to decide future course of action. The Christian community decided to join the “Dharna” to be held in Indore on 28th October at Gandhi Chauk. The meeting also decided to hold candle-light procession on October 31 at around 6 pm in T.T. Nagar locality in Bhopal.
Fr. Anand Muttungal, Regional Public Relations Officer & Spokesperson Catholic Church Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, from Bhopal said: “We have welcomed the support extended by Left parties, secular organizations, various inter-religious forums, NGOs and socialist thinkers.
He said the fundamental organizations are preparing the ground for the assembly election to be held in Madhya Pradesh in 2008. The silent support of the Government reminds us of the Gujarat riots and it’s after effects. The police and district administration has become a joke in the hands of these government supported fundamental organizations. Probably this is the beginning of a long fight against human right violations in the name of false conversion charges, Fr. Anand added”. ([email protected])