Silent protest held in Belagavi demanding release of arrested Kerala nuns
They have been arrested on false charges and under controversial circumstances. They have been charged with human trafficking and conversion. They are false, they said. They walked from the Deputy Commissioner's office to the Zilla Panchayat office. They submitted a memorandum addressed to the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, through the Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Roshan.
Speaking at the rally, Bishop Derek Fernandes condemned the arrests as unjust and frivolous. He said no Catholic was ever involved in forced conversions. He also decried the physical assault on the nuns and warned against the rise of communal violence.
'We demand the immediate release of the innocent and an end to baseless persecution. The government must protect minority rights and uphold India's secular values,' Bishop Fernandes said.
According to the memorandum, the arrests were prompted by pressure from a right-wing activist who falsely alleged forced conversion, sparking a mob protest. It is alleged that the charges were politically and communally motivated. Investigations and family statements later confirmed that the women traveled willingly and without any coercion.
The memorandum said the arrests were unjust and wrongful. 'The nuns and the youth were held at Durg Railway Station on July 25 under Section 143 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 4 of the Chhattisgarh Religious Freedom Act (1968), which pertains to religious conversion through force or inducement. They were accompanying three adult tribal women, aged 18 to 19, looking for nursing jobs, from Narayanpur to Agra. The women had all signed parental consent letters and carried valid identification. The charge of human trafficking is false,' the memorandum said.
The rally was organised by the Catholic Association of Belgaum and other Christian organisations.
Over 400 participants, including priests, nuns, seminarians, and laypersons participated.
Copies of the memorandum have been addressed to the President of India, and the Prime Minister.
Community leaders like Philip Kutty, Clara Fernandes, Louis Rodrigues, Pramod Kumar, Pastor Ankalgi, Sister Lourdes Joseph, Nooruddin Mulla and others were present.
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