By Jose Kavi
New Delhi: Sister Jessy Kurian, a Supreme Court lawyer and former member of the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions, on March 25 urged the Nation Human Rights Commission to act against attackers of nuns traveling on a train.
In a letter to the commission, a statutory body responsible for the protection and promotion of human rights in India, Sister Kurian said she was shocked to hear the event “as a woman and a nun.”
She requested the commission to probe the March 19 incident at Jhansi town in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, and take appropriate action against the police and those involved in harassing the nuns.
She then narrated the ordeal of two Sacred Heart nuns and two students, based on reports in various newspapers and social media and direct information from the nuns’ superiors.
The nuns, she explained, were travelling from Delhi to Odisha in B2 compartment of Utkal Express along with “two nun trainees who were major.” The nuns were accompanied the trainees for their safety, as they were going to their native village for Easter holidays.
The four reached the Jhansi railway station at about 7:45 pm and suddenly a group along with some police personnel entered the compartment. “Then, they began to harass the two nuns and two nun trainees alleging, the nuns were taking away the girls (trainees) for conversion,” Sister Kurian explained.
According to her the men and the police interrogated the nun trainees, who denied the allegations. They also told their tormentors that they were major and were traveling freely and willingly. They also stated that they willingly attended the training to become nuns and that their parents are Christians.
The police and the men rejected the girls’ statements and compelled them to show legal documents to prove their claim. The girls then showed their Aadhar card that was genuine and legal.
“Even after producing such document, the police alleged that the document was fake and forced the two nuns and two nun trainees to deboard at the Jhansi railway station,” Sister Kurian’s letter said.
She also narrated how the four were taken to the police station and kept there until 10 pm. By that time, their train had left the station and they were taken to the residence of the local Catholic bishop.
“It is pertinent to note that there was no woman police at the time of incident. Allegations leveled against the nuns were completely false,” Sister Jessy points out.
She asserts that the nuns have their fundamental right to travel freely throughout India. The attack violated “their right to live with human dignity enshrined under Article 21 of the Constitution,” asserted the first Catholic nun in India to hold a quasi-judiciary post.
Women, she added, have the right to embrace any religion and accept any life-style. They have the right to travel in a peaceful and safe manner.
According to her, such incidents highlight that women passengers are not safe in the trains and “it is high time that the railway ensured the safety of women.”
The educator-turned-lawyer, who shuttles between New Delhi and Hyderabad, urged the commission to press the Uttar Pradesh government to pay “a reasonable compensation to the victims of harassment and mental torture.”
Many do not understand the technique used by the Sanghis. Lower units are free to do all things to harass the minorities. When the matter is taken up by interested parties or the affected, their apex body representative may even apologise saying “ it is a stray incident” The matter ends and the minorities take it sincere and go ahead. But the lower levels have an understanding with the apex people. Again in another place another incident will happen and the interpretation may be something different.
Here Kumma am Rajashekharan a BJ P candidate in Kerala ( he was governor of Mizoram) Said that the incident happened in Jhansi because the nuns were wearing their religious dress. This is the way they approach. Are these nuns Indians, Catholics, who have their religious habiliments ? Are these against any law or against our sacred Constitution .? When there is already a set agenda, they try to follow that
But our bishops and priests and funny leaders like Alphonse and Vadakkan cannot understand anything because their brain is pledged and their freedom of thought surrendered.. Will bishops pursue this one case till the responsible people are identified and punished ?
My request to Sister Jessy Kurian is that it is high time our girls and women including nuns learnt self-defence by taking help from the Drukpa Nuns or Sr. Nirmalini of Apostolic Carmel order (past Principal of Carmel Convent School Delhi) who introduced in her all girls’ school, “Mission Prahar (attack)”, as a self-defence technique course in the school. (Ref: https://silentmaj.wordpress.com/2014/09/08/catholic-nun-receives-delhis-best-teacher-award/). Funds for this training can be earmarked parish/diocese-wise. Strength comes from within and not from the HM or Women’s Commission.
Prevention is better than Cure.
Safety of a woman in and out of her home is her fundamental. All humans must be respected and protected by every one, much more from the government agencies.