Editorial
The Nuns incident: A disturbing Trend
Opinion | Editorial | John S. Shilshi | 15-Apr-2021
Imagine a situation where one is traveling in a train with family members or friends holding valid tickets to a certain destination. Half way down the journey, you are suddenly told by certain unknown people that you got to be verified by the men in khakhi because you look suspicious. Your costumes, appearance, inability to speak the “Bharat Bhasa” Hindi, or speaking the language with a different accent suggest that you are not in sync with the idea of Hinduism and Hindutva, you are told. You are also told that there was strong suspicion that you nudge away people from a religion called ‘Hinduism’, the religion of Hindustan, to other religion (Christianity) therefore needed to be investigated upon. What would your feeling be? You would certainly be annoyed, scared, panic, disgusted, dejected and helpless. You would begin to wonder whether you are traveling in a free country called ‘India’ where there are constitutional guarantee to freedoms, or in a caged society like North Korea, China or former USSR where one is expected to strictly abide by the norms set by the regimes. You will therefore be left gasping for answers without actually having one.
That precisely was what happened to two Nuns of the Sacred Heart Congregation and their two students on March 19, 2021 when they were detained at Jhansi Railway Station by members of right wing Hindu activists on charges of converting people, a violation under the new law enacted by the state of Uttar Pradesh. There was no substantive evidence to prove that the Nuns actually were involved in such activities, therefore, the labeling of such charges purely on presumption was inexplicable. The only reason one can think of for the rouge vigilantes to arrive at such conclusion could be that the Nuns were in their habits, and they and their two postulates probably spoke Hindi in a different accent for their liking. How bizarre and a dangerous trend? With such yardstick, a northeasterner in is a traditional costume or in his/her colourful shawl could well be their next target. Fortunately or unfortunately, the incident happened at a time when political activism was at its best because of the elections in many states. Fortunate, not because the ordeal was mitigated, but it got highlighted well enough; unfortunate because heightened political slugfest over the incident reduced the seriousness of the matter to a mere talking point and gave the impression that it was political loose talks politician usually indulged in.
Call it stage managed or whatever, there was a piece of appreciable action that followed the incident. The Railway police on April 2, arrested student leader Ajay Shankar Tiwari, Anchal Arjaria, president of Rashtra Bhakt Sangathan, and Purgesh Amaria, secretary of Hindu Jagran Manch, in connection with the incident. What actually came out of their interrogation and the subsequent outcome of the investigation shall however remain unknown unless some tangible action follows. What became clear for the present however was, a Court in Uttar Pradesh granted bail to the three accused five days after they were arrested. The incident was unfortunate and sad commentary on the secular credential of India, but law taking its course was a welcomed move. The question however is, did the three accused tamely surrender to make sloganeering easier for BJP campaigners in states where elections were taking place? As optimists and believers in rule of law, we would like to believe otherwise.
There were dissenting voices amongst Catholics and Christians about speedy grant of bail to the three accused in the case. However, in all fairness, it needs mentioning that granting of bail cannot be really seen as a manipulation or extension of favour by a Court. It is a Constitutional duty which the court is duty bound to uphold, unless one is accused of indulgence in a non- bailable offence. The only point open to questioning in matters of bail is the application of due diligence by the courts while deciding bail matters. One unique example that flashes quickly into one’s mind of course is the case of the Tribal activist, Fr. Stan Swamy. The 83 year old Jesuit Priest, who is suffering from Parkinson disease is incapable of lifting a glass, but in the wisdom of the trying court, his being at large was considered a threat hence the denial of bail. Therefore, he continues to languish in a prison cell despite the fact that there was sufficient reasonable grounds available for the court to exercise due diligence and decide his plea favourably.
The incident involving the Catholic Nuns surely was deplorable for many reasons. Not only did it shattered the confidence of people belonging to minority groups, but for the very reason that the cross bearers were detained by a group of soi-disant men - supposedly the foot soldiers of right wing fringe elements. Under the law, it is only the police who could detain people as they are empowered under the law, that too only on having reasonable grounds to suspect involvement in commission of a crime. The right wing Hindu vigilantes are no police, therefore they have no mandate to exercise such powers conferred on the police of this country. This and many other incidents involving innocent citizens, irrespective of groups, need to be spoken against as citizens and as Christians. It is time Christians move away from the introvert mindset and speak out for every victim of similar nature, whether they are Christians, Muslims, Hindus or from any religious groups.
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