By Matters India Reporter
Mumbai, April 9, 2019: The Indian Christian Women’s Movement, an ecumenical group, has condemned recent mob violence on a convent school in Tamil Nadu, southern India.
In a democratic country that has law enforcement agencies, the attack on a school run by sisters by “a mob to express anger or even sorrow is absolutely unacceptable and condemnable,” says a press statement from the movement.
More than 200 people allegedly incited by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh activists attacked on March 25 and 26 Little Flower Higher Secondary School and Convent of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Chinnasalem, following the suicide of a tenth grader.
“While we understand that the death of a young girl is a tragic loss to the parents, it has also been a traumatic experience of loss for the school authorities, teachers and students,” the Christian women said while suggesting a probe the matter to ascertain the cause of the girl’s death.
The movement’s April 7 statement termed as a crime to attack the nuns, their staff and students without verifying the facts. It demanded “a thorough investigation” to bring the culprits to justice.
The Christian women want those who destroyed the school’s millions of rupees worth of electronic and teaching equipment to compensate for the damage.
“We also denounce the extortion of money from the sisters after inflicting violence and fear without prior investigations into the cause of the death,” the statement added.
The movement also wants the state authorities to investigate the alleged support the attackers received from the local police.
“We appeal to the state of Tamil Nadu to order an immediate impartial and transparent investigation into these crimes and give relief to the injured and aggrieved parties following the rule of law. It should be ensured that there is no more harassment of the sisters, staff and students of the school. The Std. X students should be helped to answer their exams without any further trauma,” the statement added.
Earlier on April 6, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India expressed its shock, pain and hurt at the violence against the school.
“We grieve the death of the young girl who committed suicide out of fear that she may not pass her 10th Standard Maths, Public exam and that she would bring shame to her family and her parents,” said a press statement from the conference.
The bishops said the violence against the school staff “appalled and worried” them and condemned it unequivocally. They expressed their solidarity with the Franciscan Sisters of Our Lady of Lourdes Province of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Congregation, who have managed the school for the past 74 years.