By Matters India Reporter
Jabalpur: The Madhya Pradesh High Court on March 16 granted anticipatory bail to a Catholic nun accused of violating the central Indian state’s anti-conversion law.
Sister Bhagya, a member of the Sisters of the Destitute, was asked to furnish personal bond of 10,000 rupees and with one solvent surety of the same amount to avail the interim bail.
The single judge bench has posted the case to April 7 for the next hearing.
The nun, who is the principal of the Sacred Heart Convent High School in Khajuraho of Chhatarpur district, has been booked under sections 3 and 5 of the Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Ordinance, 2020.
The allegation against her is that she attempted to convert a former staff member who functioned as an Assistant Librarian in the said school and whose services were terminated subsequently on account of poor performance.
In the First Information Report dated February 22 the woman alleged that her husband, who was ailing with a mental disorder, was promised to be cured by the nun provided she and her family got converted to Christianity. “It is also stated that she had given the allurement that the Christian God is greater than the Hindu God,” the court noted.
The nun and the local Church authorities have denied the charges.
They said Ruby Singh, the Hindu woman, had joined the school as a teacher in 2016. The school management terminated her services during the Covid-19 lockdown after complaints about her teaching from parents and students, they explained.
The case was the latest in a series of such cases filed against Christians after the state’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government implemented the anti-conversion law in January.
The school, managed by the Sisters of the Destitute, has about 1,000 students. As Singh continued to create a problem, the school management complained to the police on February 17 seeking protection from her.
In the said complaint, the applicant herein has stated that the complainant was terminated from the services of school on account of her poor performance and lack of documents and that she is giving threats of committing self-immolation if she is not reinstated on her job.
If you are a Christian read the Bible well. If you are not a Christian then what is wrong in sharing what we have? Conversion? Depend on God. You seem to have a biased mind! It would be nice if you remove your tainted glasses and be dispassionate.
Why do you have to convert a non-Christian to Christianity? Would you be so generous to share your wealth with others as your faith? Faith is available for free. So it does not cost anything to pass on your faith except your time and a possible bonus for you post your death. For peaceful co-existence with the majority community the Christians must abandon the urge to convert others into your faith. Majority faith has been objecting to this activity for long. That is why there is a law. Your job is live as a law-abiding citizen. Just as Jesus said, if you are objected to then abandon the place. Of course, you can’t leave town as it is yours too and you can’t walk into other countries just like that. But you can very well cease your conversion activity to help banish misunderstanding in the minds of majority community and bring about peaceful co-existence.
Why at all there has to be an anti conversion law in India. It is a matter of one ‘s faith and conscience. And ours is a secular nation whose Constitution allows freedom of religion. Every citizen has the right to seek and know the Truth. There is no Hindu God and Christian God. God is only one. ” Eham Sathya Bahuda Vadandi Vipra “
Did the school management complied with the proper procedure for terminating the services of the complainant? Did they inform the concerned officials in the Education Department about the planned termination? Do they have copies of all paper work in this connection? Did they inform the local police about her threat of self immolation? Was it a summary dismissal or complied with all due process prescribed ?
Christians in MP and other states where there is Freedom of Religion rules are in force must be very careful when dealing with the local people. It seems the present case is the direct result of the termination and loss of employment/steady monthly income. Her husband is sick. No alternate source of income. She is under stress finding money for survival. This forced her to make the accusation to teach a lesson. The animosity towards Christians is a strong reason for the concerned local government departments/officials.
The matter is very important and calls for very careful handling.
In Kolkata one priest became a BJP member and resigned as school principal. In Kerala the bishops and priests are helping the zBJP to win election and to rule the State.
Dear Fr Michael , this is not only Covid era but Era of great Opportunism
When Pakistan has blasphemy laws we have anti conversion law They have the same purpose There they want to teach virtues to Hindus, Christians and Wahabis in India the Govt want to teach virtues to Christians and Muslims. All want to make the world More Civilized.
Many more cases will arise in Madhya Pradesh U. P. and elsewhere where anti conversion law is passed. We Christians must not simply give in to the authorities but stand up to our rights given by the Constitution itself, freedom of religion freedom of preaching and practicing one’s own religion.