By Matters India Reporter
Jashpur, June 8, 2023: A Catholic nun’s first home visit after her religious profession has ended in a tragedy in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh.
Sister Bibha Kerketta was on June 6 arrested and jailed along with her mother and three others after her family organized a Mass in their home to thank God for her profession in the Daughters of St Anne congregation.
A group of Hindu fundamentalists, who barged into the house, accused her mother and others for conducting a healing session and insulting other religions.
However, Christian groups deny the allegation and say the evening Mass was attended by the nuns’ relatives, friends and neighbors who are Catholics.
Sister Kerketta took her first vows in the congregation based in Ranchi, capital of neighboring Jharkhand state, six months ago. However, she could come home at Balachhapar, a village in Jashpur district, only after a course in English and Hindi, a senior nun told Matters India on condition of anonymity.
The nun said the family had not conducted a healing session or preaching as the Hindu radicals alleged.
The arrested include Sister Kerketta’s mother and three others. “The police are searching for others who attended the Mass,” she added.
The Dainik Jagran, a Hindi newspaper widely circulated in northern India, on June 7 reported that “the healing session and religious conversion” created a commotion in Jashpur, some 425 km northeast of Raipur, the state capital.
The report also alleged that a healing session was organized in the house of Hiramuni Bai, a resident of the Schoolpara lane in the village. Alerted about the religious program, Zila Panchayat (district council) president Raimuni Bhagat and four others came to the house along with activists of Hindu groups such as Bajrang Dal and Hindu Vahini, a youth group.
A leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Hindu groups alleged that Sister Kerketta, her mother and others in the congregation humiliated Hindu deities and incited the villagers.
On hearing about the tension, a police team led by office in charge Ravishankar Tiwari came and took the two groups to the police station for questioning.
After this, the police booked Sister Kerketta, her mother and three others under various sections of the anti-conversion law of the state.
They were sent to a jail in Jashpur.
Their bail applications will be taken up on June 13.
Christian leaders in Jashpur said the five were taken to the police station and kept there during the night. The following day they were produced before the court.
One person, the nun’s uncle who is visually challenged, was granted bail and others were remanded in custody.
Some 20 people who reached the house slapped the nun’s mother and questioned her for becoming Christian. The intruders also threw away a copy of the Bible, a candle stand and a rosary found in the house.
The incident has frightened the local Christians, the Christian leaders say.
Healing, by and large is the desire of a human being to keep himself or herself always in good health. Nobody has the right to say otherwise. Even other religions have healing programmes galore. Dont feel the Christian’s cannot do anything. We have Jesus Christ who is the son of God and the Saviour of the world. We have plenty of conversions in lakhs done wherein our Christian’s have been converted. Please see the country improves in a very big way. We are still in the third world.
God is there dont worry Bible says, in Jesus any body pray will be persecuted be in pray and every Christian is behind them and pray for them
Dear Sr. Bhibha you are a true daughter of St. Anne. Be courageous, we are with you and with your dear ones. Our victorious Jesus Christ will bring victory soon. Believe it.
This is persecution of Christians, and I really appreciate the sister and her family for courageously facing it. Remember our Lord Jesus is the God of mercy, he certainly bring the perpetrators to know his power.
Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.
Mahatma Gandhi was frequently arrested and put behind bars in South Africa and in several jails across India. Sitting in the cell, the Father of the nation would pray for his jailers and their masters. In the prison, MKG would read the Gita, the Koran, and the Holy Bible. Drawing inspiration and strength from the divine Scriptures, Gandhi would carry on spinning thread on his Charkha and writing books for his legion of admirers. Gandhi’s ideas are being used by people of goodwill worldwide.
Satan’s group is in trouble. Praise the Lord 🙏🙏🙏 God will be your judge Sister don’t worry. Our prayer is with you and your family members. Stay strong in your faith. It’s completely a rumour that there was healing session. It was a thanksgiving mass. People of Catholic Church never do healing session. This is such a political propaganda created by cheap Bajrangs.
God Assures: ‘He Gives Strength to the Weary and increases the power of the Weak’. – Issaiah 40:29
In every diocese there should be team of lawyers consist of priests,nuns and lay Christan, who rush to police station to save our Christians. It’s the responsibility of CBCI. And Local bishop. It’s good to Pray for persecuted nun but we also have to protest.and condemn in local press .
Don’t worry sister God is in control be strong, except whatever is thrown at you because our God is a mighty God any has special protection for his anointed ones. Just wait and see the fate of these Hindu fanatics of this government see how the tumble and fall it is started. Karnataka has fallen. Tamil Nadu doesn’t belong to BJP. It is a God who put them there and it will be a God to remove them. Will pray for you specially sister
Daily let’s remember the assurance of the Lord given as “Fear Not “.
The intention of the evil forces is to frightening the faithful through such threats.
It’s surprising to see happening in Jharkhand!
Since people are paid to create such Fear complex they will involve in making such false allegations.
Let’s stand united and with the secular forces.
Prayers.
Satan and his people will try the best to distract this family away from faith …be strong
One True God does not require support from human beings since he is the most powerful one. If you trouble his followers the same fate awaits you as the perpetrators of Khandamal……go read what happened to them
“Father forgive them,they do not know what what they do “. Why are they mixing politics with religion ? Is not India a secular nation ? Where is Democracy gone ? Lord, save those who are persecuted in our Motherland !!
We are free to profess our religion.The fundamentalists should be arrested.Government is closing his eyes towards such incidents
No body can change any ones heart desire to be something. If one befifits what he fet from his choice of religion why is there so much of anger hatred killing I just to Christianity, religions are created out of one’s beliefs, that’s why the Hindus has Thousands of God’s that they keep ringing the bells so their God can hear them, people just follow the Living Don of God that is Christ, and to belive and trust in the one who hears and provide consolation to everyone who goes to Jesus Christ. We are attached to Christ that’s how we are following CHRIST IANITY.
How many of the Hindu God’s have laid there life for the people, any miracles have happened. God bless the percutors.Dont worry Jesus the son of the living God is watching.
I greatly denounce this wicked act of the people who are insecure and frightened, they know that the innocent are more powerful than the wicked. Jesus please heal these blind, deaf and liars. Give security to your people. I wonder why they are so frightened of the handful Christians.
Jesus have mercy on this persecutors who are so much blinded. Jesus may this Christian n minority persecutors encounter You, accept you as Lord n Saviour n proclaim You as their Lord n Saviour n become an evangelist evangelising Christ. Most of all Jesus touch our Govt n those in power n position n may they encounter you Jesus tangibly n accept you as Lord n Saviour of their lives n become an evangelist. Jesus fill our nation with your blood so that devil that causes this type of persecution flees away. Thank You Jesus.
In the Bible, the Revelations reveal the end days will bring persecution upon the followers of Jesus Christ. But we have to focus upon continuing the Mission of Christ that is spreading Abba Father’s Love for All Mankind, proved by Jesus through His suffering, scourging and death on the Cross to save all humans from fires of hell. And to stand strong under every circumstance, situations by glorifying God, The Father, Son-Jesus Christ and The Holy Spirit, forever and ever, Amen. Lord, we pray to be merciful towards our persecutors and be Compassionate upon those who are undergoing persecutions, all in Jesus Mighty Name, Amen,🙏🏻🙏🏻.For our treasure is not of this world but what awaits us in God’s Kingdom, Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah hallelujah!
Very sad our God is merciful and he too will have mercy on all of us praise God all times 🙏
What is Bhagel’s Congress government doing in Chhattisgarh? Disgraceful.
Why is our Government so blind to the pleas of the people, leave alone Christians – are we not human first. Jesus came for all humanity not for the Christian alone – He came for the Gentiles whom we call our brethren of other faith – if they have a right to practice their faith why not others who live in a Democratic Country of our’s INDIA and we proudly say we are Indians. How far is this true if we are not allowed to live freely. Lord Jesus open their eyes – Lord Jesus You said that “following Me you will be persecuted for I was persecuted too and will be rejected for I was rejected too” Forgive them Lord Jesus for they do not know what they are doing. Amen Amen Amen
If i am not wrong every citizen in India is free to accept and practise any religion. They have the right to freedom. It is just a wicked and blind act done without any ethical principles. There was just a Thanksgiving Mass at her house and it all turned and viral to be something else by the opposition. The eyes of the opposition are closed and are much keen towards their selfish motives. They can’t relate and just make the good to bad and bad to good. Their eyes must be open and and mind should be changed. I believe that the Lord will bring justice to the Sister and her family.
Persian invaders Invade India and called the nativea as Hindu. The word originates as its mispronounced by Persians who meant to call Sindhu giving a geographical demarcation of their new anexed territory… Now… Invader and invaded do not form a brotherhood relationship.. In short an abusive term has been missinterpretrd as religion whereas it’s Sanatan which could have existed.. Megasthene wrote in his book Indica that around 300 BC cast system didn’t prevail then…
India was a secular is and non can turn it into a nation full orthodox cast system…
Praise the Lord… Glory to them who suffers in their name… Is it a call for crusade be aware RSS
Jo bhi hua galat hua, dunia ka santi ke lie ham log iswar se prarthana karte hain
Is it not high time for the CBCI/CCBI and it’s members to stop releasing statement after statement or giving a welcome to Modi or meeting Modi and Shah in their hotel rooms? They have done all these. But what is the result? The persecution on Christian community continues.
The church prelates must come out to the street and organise a protest march infront of the residences of Modi and Shah.
We must appreciate the courage of a group of people from Manipur who protested in front of the residence of Shah. They had the guts to do so.
Will the CBCI/CCBI members come forward to do the same without further delay? Do they have the courage to do so? Let them remember JESUS who had the courage to challenge the rulers and law makers of his time.
It’s a shame that the increasing violence against minorities is not getting the required attention of the main media and rights activists. Praying for the persecuted nun and her family and friends.
Hate mongers don’t understand any logic including the civil authorities. They have lost sound mind and kind heart.
Simply, the government is anti-Christian, it knows how to oppress, but it cannot save souls; it is agitated when it sees the peaceful behaviour of the Christians who propagate equality, mercy and love in the Name of their Victorious Lord, Jesus. But fellow Christians, remain strong, this persecution will lead to the wider spread of the Redemptive Gospels, as it is the invincible Jesus Who works.
According to my point of view from given Article it is not fare that the action was taken immediately. Those who immidiate action should really understand and accept the Article 25 to 28 of the constitution of our own country.The action which has been taken just on a rumour by our protectors of our rights and the diffenders of our right to freedom of given articles in the constitution is not so fare and acceptable. Newly professed nun, her mother and other should be given justice because as far I understand from the given article, it was just a thanks giving mass of a newly professed nun in her own home town.
Why should the police so worried and take immediate action for the things happened at home? When rape and molestation take place police are not able to arrest the BJ P MLA but they plunge into action when people are ST, SC and poor. This is what we see the double standard of the government justice system.
Anyone trying to wipe out our ethos of millions of years need to be checkmated.
Every activity of these evangelists is suspect. As for Brij Bhushan, he has offered Narco test for himself & the athletes. Which has been rejected by these athletes. Their conduct is suspect.
Very sad that a nation of SANATANA DHARMA can act so cheap!!
As far I understand from the article, it was a thanksgiving Mass the first profession of the nun in her hometown. Unfortunately, the religious persecution has become a frequent thing in some of the states. But for true the believer, it only strengthens their faith as in the first christian communities.
The police who are defenders of the constitutional rights of the people of India are turning into breakers of the law. Can a common Indian citizen like me trust them for protection according to the written law?
The way the police take such action only shows they are a part of the gang. In Brij Bhushan’s case of rape and molestation and anti-posoco crime, no police dares to arrest him. Here a catholic nun and family are arrested on a rumour that they were conducting prayers and healing sessions. This India is slipping into quicksands of fascism.