By Matters India Reporter
Thanjavur, Jan 21, 2022: A Catholic nun was arrested in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu after a 17-year-old girl died by suicide.
The girl took poison January 9 at her hostel at Michaelpatti in Thanjavur district, and died 10 days later.
Sister Sahaya Mary, the 62-year-old hostel warden, was arrested under the Juvenile Act apart from charges of abetting suicide. The place is near Poondi Madha shrine that comes under the diocese of Kumbakonam.
A report in ndtv.com says the girl took poison alleging abuse by her hostel warden and an attempt to convert her family to Christianity.
“In an unverified video that has surfaced after her death, the girl says she may have been harassed and abused because her family refused to convert to Christianity,” the report says.
The ndtv.com report says the news organization could not independently verify the video that surfaced after the girl’s death.
Jesuit Father Arockiasamy Santhanam, spokesperson for the National Lawyers Forum of Religious and Priests, says the First Information Report does not mention conversion. “It is the cook up story by the Hindutva elements,” he told Matters India January 21.
According to him, the police had gone to the hospital to collect the girl’s statement.
The priest also explained that the girl had lost her mother eight years ago and her father married another woman.
“She was harassed by the stepmother. Therefore she used to stay with the sisters and during this corona lockdown, she did not want to go home fearing her stepmother’s harassment. She was given food in the convent,” the priest explained.
The hostel is managed by the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, also known as Pondicherry Blue Sisters, as their headquarters is based in Pondicherry, a Union Territory.
Father Santhanam, a lawyer, says the girl admits in the FIR that she had not revealed the fact that she had consumed poison. “She was taken to the hospital for vomiting continuously,” the priest explained.
He also said that the nun had cooperated with the police after the FIR was registered.
The priest wants the police to register a case against those who misinterpreted the girl’s death.
He said the girl had not gone because of the harassment of the stepmother, who he says a BJP supporter.
“As per the law, any identity of child victims should not be revealed to media including social media. Here news is spread by antisocial elements with the name of the victim in social media. A video is forwarded as if interviewing the victims. Who allowed them to take the interview?” he asks.
In the video, the girl alleged that she was forced to clean the hostel and also do administration and maintenance work, the ndtv.com narrated.
“Two years ago, they asked me and my parents to convert to Christianity. They said they will take care of my education,” the girl says in the video. On a specific question on whether she was targeted for not converting, she says, “Maybe.”
The girl’s parents have demanded an investigation into conversion allegations.
Police officials say neither the girl nor her family had filed any complaint about the alleged conversion.
“We had video recorded her complaint, her statement to the Judicial Magistrate, and her dying declaration. She did not say anything about conversion. Nor did her parents allege this. We are now investigating this allegation also,” Ravali Priya Gandhapuneni, a senior police officer in Thanjavur, told NDTV.
Authorities are looking for the person who filmed the video to verify its authenticity and the motive behind its release. “The minor girl’s identity has been revealed. This is a violation,” the officer said.
The girl’s allegations have taken a political turn with the Bharatiya Janata Party demanding an investigation and urging the state’s DMK government to punish those responsible.
In present day India it is hard to believe that being asked to convert can be a reason good enough to comit suicide? There is more to it more than meet the eye. Let us wait for the outcome of the case.
Of course, this incident is blown-up by the BJP for their own selfish gain.
However, a word of caution to all the Catholic Schools/Colleges/Universities/Technical Institutes/Hostels/Orphanages/Child Care Homes:
NEVER make the non-Christian students to recite the Christian prayers (usually the prayer of the Patron Saint) or make them sing Christian songs (usually the song of the Patron Saint) or allow them to participate in the Catholic prayer services or Holy Mass.
Invariably, most of the Catholic Institutions do this BLUNDER either knowingly or unknowingly. So, they need to be very very cautious especially when the country is ruled by RSS-driven BJP.
Now a days cooked up stories are many. Let everyone listen to the inner voice. It is very easy to find fault. My sincere prayers to all the priests and sisters who really work for the welfare of the people. Hats off dear fathers and sisters. Don’t worry. God is with you. God knows everything. I am praying for your every undertaking.
This kind of stupid conversion accusations on the part of Sangh Parivaar elements will continue. They know that the accusation is false, but they are purposely making it, because that is their strategy. They care nothing for the poor Hindu children themselves. There was a time when others would praise the Catholic Religious for their self-less care of abandoned children from other religions. Today, they are only waiting to punish us for it.
So, can we stop doing good? No, of course. We can’t stop being followers of the Gospel. But we can take precautions, like registering the children who live with us, get documents signed by their parents, and officially print in our brochures that we are not about conversion in any fraudulant manner. In case of doubt, people of other religions are welcome to leave our institution. Let that be known officially, including the local police and the collector.
Not that this will solve all the problems. But we cannot be simpletons any more. Let us keep account also of the money spent on children who take refuge with us.
Thankfully we are in a State, Tamil Nadu, where the BJP-RSS elements are not strong. This exactly is their problem. They want to convert normal Hindus into hardline Hindus. They have not good things to show among themselves. So, revile those who are doing good! At any rate, we should not be overly frightened. Otherwise we will never practice the Gospels! Christianity today is the most persecuted religion in the world.
Continue to do good, in spite of challenges.
Nothing wrong with doing administrative work or cutting vegetables
She has to be kept busy
When ever we sr ctzns of 72 yrs stay anywhere we help out free of cost gardening or any work cleaning our own room
These BJP communal people look down on menial work but these same people clean toilets in KFC or MCDONALDS
It is no solution. We are not taught to discriminate on the basis of faith, caste, gender etc. So there will always be false charges against Christian organisation with a view to destroying it. Persecution is part of our life in such situations Let us bear it with prayer and patience and a determination not to commit mistakes
The BJP will politicise and communalise everything
The priests and nuns should learn a lesson and amend their ways. They should only serve Christians and keep away from non-Christians. Also, there are ample poor Christians who need their support. Mingle with the non-Christians and the trouble is in the waiting. Choice is yours.