Christians held a protest in Delhi to demand an increase in protections for women across the country following the rape of two Catholic nuns.
Organised by the Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI), around 100 protestors gathered yesterday outside the Sacred Heart Cathedral in the capital. A statement from the CBCI said they wanted to "condemn such cruel acts against Nuns, demand safety and security for women in general and to appeal to the conscience of our leaders to act swiftly to contain this menace from spreading far and wide in our Country."
On June 19, a 47-year-old nun was attacked and raped at the Krist Sahaya Kendra (Christ Help Centre) where she worked in Chhattisgarh state, central India. A qualified nurse and a member of the Salesian Missionaries of Mary Immaculate, she was living at the centre which treats children and patients with minor injuries.
A police official leading on the case, Neeraj Chandrakkar, told UCA News on Wednesday, "We are investigating all kinds of suspects but we cannot say we are any closer to solving the case". He said that between 150 and 200 people had been questioned in connection with the crime, and at least 30 had been taken to be identified by the victim.
The incident followed the gang-rape of an elderly nun at a convent in West Bengal in March.
"Incidents, one after another like this, targeted against the Missionary Nuns, who have sacrificed their lives for God and for the service of humanity, cause real concern for all of us and bring shame and disgrace to the ethos of our Nation," the CBCI statement said.
"There is evident negligence from the part of the Governments both States' and Central, to protect the Minorities and Women in general. Even when such highly deplorable acts of violence take place, our leaders and those in authority keep silence or do not care at all to prevent such dastardly action."
Speaking from the protest on Wednesday, secretary of the women's commission in Delhi Archdiocese, Tessy Antony, told UCA News that demonstrators were prepared for further action if necessary.
"We will take to the streets if nothing happens. We are just waiting for the state government's response," she said. "If no action is taken against the culprits, we will launch a nationwide call for justice for the victim."
Anthony also insisted that Catholic women in India would not be afraid to continue their work with vulnerable people. "We are born to serve the poor and we will not stop it," she said.
According to the CBCI, Christians in Chhattisgarh have also protested what they believe to be a poor response from police to the nun's rape. On Tuesday, they rallied wearing white clothes and black bandages, and missionary schools in the area around the medical centre were closed. Christians in the region were "expressing solidarity with the cause," explained Father Sebastian Poomattam of Raipur diocese.
There has been increasing concern about the treatment of religious minorities in India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, leader of the BJP party, was forced to promise to protect all minority faith groups following outrage over a wave of attacks on Christian institutions in Delhi earlier this year.
However, speaking anonymously to Christian Today, a country expert for Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) recently warned that the climate for religious minorities has become "more and more uncertain in the last year".
"Since the BJP took office in parliament, there has been greater impunity in the way that extremist groups have been behaving in civil society, so more and more we hear from the ground that minorities in the country are feeling a sense of fear and concern for their future," the source said. He confirmed that there have been a "surge in attacks against religious minorities" in the past few months, now numbering around 600.
