Our Bureau
SHILLONG/TURA, July 30: The Catholic Association of Shillong (CAS), Meghalaya, has urged Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai to unconditionally release two Catholic nuns, Sister Preethi Mary and Sister Vandana Francis, along with Sukaman Mandavi, who were arrested at Durg Railway Station, Chhattisgarh, on July 26.
Expressing deep concern and sorrow, the CAS, in a statement, said that the arrests were made based on baseless allegations of human trafficking and forced religious conversion.
The association said that the accused nuns, belonging to the Assisi Sisters of Mary Immaculate, were engaged in service to humanity irrespective of caste, creed, or religion and were accompanying three adult women, with full parental consent, for job opportunities.
Condemning the reported involvement of Bajrang Dal activists in instigating the arrests, the CAS called it a communally motivated act rather than one based on factual evidence.
“We are deeply pained by the reported involvement of Bajrang Dal activists in instigating these arrests and driven by communal motives rather than evidence. The Catholic Association of Shillong (CAS), Meghalaya strongly condemns this incident as an infringement on the constitutional rights of the minorities to practice their faith and engage in social work without fear of persecution,” the statement said.
Calling for immediate intervention, CAS urged the chief minister to ensure the unconditional release of the nuns.
“We respectfully urge and request your esteemed office to intervene and unconditionally release them from judicial custody besides protecting the rights and safety of the minorities, thereby preventing further harassment under the guise of anti-conversion laws,” the CAS said.
UDP condemns arrest
The United Democratic Party (UDP) on Wednesday strongly condemned the recent arrest of two Catholic nuns in Chhattisgarh and called for a thorough and impartial investigation into the circumstances surrounding the case.
UDP working president Titosstarwell Chyne demanded the immediate release of Sister Vandana Francis and Sister Preeti Mary and urged that the FIR filed against them be quashed.
He criticised the arrest, describing it as an infringement on the rights and safety of minority communities.
“The Chhattisgarh government must take decisive action to uphold constitutional values and protect minority rights. We urge the authorities to take appropriate steps to safeguard the country and its people from communalism, and to ensure that justice prevails,” Chyne said.
He denounced the allegations of human trafficking and forced religious conversion as baseless, calling them a misuse of the law aimed at harassing minority groups.
He further asserted that the arrest appeared to be driven by communal motives, posing a threat to the principles of justice and equality. “This incident reflects a disturbing trend of increasing hostility toward minority communities, particularly Christians, in different parts of the country,” the UDP leader pointed out.
Chyne emphasised that the arrest violates the constitutional right to freedom of religion and expressed the party’s solidarity with the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) and other groups that have raised concerns over the incident.
Bernard Marak moves Chhattisgarh CM
Meanwhile, BJP leader and Tura MDC Bernard Marak has written to Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, urging him to intervene in the case of the two Catholic nuns.
“I am writing this letter to appeal for the release of two Catholic nuns from the Assisi Sisters of Mary Immaculate (ASMI) (Sister Preeti Mary and Sister Vandana Francis) who were arrested at Durg Railway Station in Chhattisgarh on Saturday, July 26, along with a young man, while accompanying three women aged between 18 and 19 from Narayanpur district. They were charged with human trafficking and religious conversion under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Chhattisgarh Religious Freedom Act, 1968,” Bernard stated in his letter.
While emphasising that the law is applicable equally to all and none are exempt from its provisions, Bernard requested that the investigation and trial be carried out lawfully, with the possibility of releasing the individuals on the condition that they cooperate fully with the legal process to prove their innocence.
“The arrest of religious representatives who are socially active and contribute to the community through educational services may provoke worldwide condemnation and controversy among Christian communities, which could have long-term implications for our international relations with Christian countries. This arrest is also being highlighted by the opposition in a negative light, which I feel should not be encouraged as it could distort the Christian community’s faith in Good Governance,” he added.