By Matters India Reporter
New Delhi: Women groups in India on March 23 condemned the heckling and harassment of Catholic nuns traveling on a train from Delhi to Odisha.
“We call on the Prime Minister and the Home Minister to track down the perpetrators of these crimes and punish them severely according to the rule of law – not only for the hate crime committed against these women, who represent a minority community, but also for the harassment of them as women,” says a press release from the groups.
They also demanded “decisive and stern action so that such incidents will not be repeated again.”
Two nuns of the Sacred Heart congregation were traveling with their students on March 19 when they were confronted by Bajrang Dal activists in their train compartment and falsely accused of forceful conversion.
“The women were commanded to show their identity cards and were threatened that they will be forced out of the train. The girls were bullied into showing their Aadhaar cards which were photographed by the thugs,” the women groups narrated the incident.
At the behest of the Hindu radicals, the railway police then forced the nuns and students to alight at Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh state although they had valid documents. They police and the radicals prevented the nuns from using their phones.
“They were detained by the police without rhyme or reason and they missed their train,” added the statement signed by Indian Women Theologians Movement, Indian Christian Women’s Movement and Gender At Work.
The statement also pointed out that a similar incident occurred four years ago. “Clearly nothing was done then to rein in these thugs who were emboldened to repeat their aggressive actions,” bemoaned the women groups.
According to them, the latest incident “is indicative of the growing communal hatred that is spreading with the active support of the current government. Minorities live in fear and insecurity.”
The demanded the Ministry of Railways to be vigilant and ensure safe travel for women and minorities on trains.