Tribal rally decries misuse of laws to target Christians

By Lalita Roshni Lakra

Jashpur, June 14, 2023: Hundreds of people from Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand on June 14 joined a one-day sit-in at a central Indian city to protest the arrest of a Catholic nun and her family members for allegedly violating an anti-conversion law.

“Stop filing false cases against Christians,” “End violating the Article 25 of the Indian Constitution,” and “Stop misusing law to target Christians,” were some slogans raised by more than 5,000 participants of the event at Jashpur in Chhattisgarh state. They also voiced concerns at the increasing incidents of attacks on Christians in various parts of India.

The rally was organized by the Isai Adivasi Mahasabha Chhattigarh (Grand Assembly of the Tribal Christians in Chhattisgarh) to protest the arrest of Sister Vibha Kerketta, her mother, and three others, residents of Balachhapar village in Jashpur district.

The Daughters of St Anne nun and others were released on bail June 13 a week after their arrest.

The rallyists, comprising Christians of all denominations, began the sit-in after paying homage to B R Ambedkar, father of the Indian Constitution. Daughters of St Anne Sister Sewati Panna, a lawyer, then narrated how Hindu radical groups stormed Sister Kerketta’s home accusing them of conducting a healing session to convert Hindus.

The family of the 23-year-old nun organized a Mass in their house June 6 to thank God for her first profession the congregation. Only their relatives and friends – all Catholics – had attended the Mass.

The rallyists demanded that the “real culprits” – the attackers of Sister Kerketta’s family and the biased police officers who arrested them – be punished for violating the Article 25 of the Indian Constitution that guarantees freedom to all to profess, practice and propagate a religion of their choice.

All those who addressed the participants stressed the importance of the Indian Constitution and advised all to study it seriously.

One of the speakers C. D. Baxla, a medical doctor and social worker, urged the participants to unit as honey bees and resist together attacks on the community.

The rallyists submitted a memorandum to Jashpur’s Sub Divisional Magistrate to forward to the state chief minister. After narrating the incidents leading to the arrest of the five, the memorandum demanded a judicial probe into the conduct of the police action.

It points out that the first information report was filed at 8:55 pm on June 6 even before the mob reached the house. The memorandum suspects a conspiracy behind the whole incident. It also alleged that the police have misused the law to target tribal Christians.

The memorandum points out that a counter first information report was filed June 12 against Zila Panchayat (district council) president Raimuni Bhagat, who led the attackers but the police have refused to register it.

The memorandum demanded immediate action against Bhagat and his companions. It wants the administration to strictly instruct police officers of all districts in the state to respect Christians right to practice their religion in a private place and protect them from anti-Christian groups.