Arrest of two Catholic nuns in Chhattisgarh causes ripples in Kerala. BJP leaders tread cautiously

The Print

6 days ago

Sister Preethi Mary, 45, and Sister Vandana Francis, 50, were arrested at Durg railway station on 25 July, along with a third person, Sukaman Mandavi, following a complaint by a local Bajrang Dal activist.
The incident, condemned by church leaders and major political fronts, has cast a shadow over the party's sustained efforts to woo the minority community and expand its presence in Kerala.
Thiruvananthapuram: The arrest of two Malayalee Catholic nuns in the BJP-ruled Chhattisgarh on charges of forced religious conversion and human trafficking has snowballed into a political storm in poll-bound Kerala, pushing the BJP's electoral ambitions onto the back foot.
The complaint alleged that they were forcibly converting three girls from Bastar's Narayanpur. Preethi is from the Elavoor parish at Angamaly in Ernakulam, and Vandana Francis belongs to the Udayagiri parish at Thalassery in Kannur. Both are associated with the Assisi Sisters of Mary Immaculate (ASMI) order.
The charges against them include human trafficking under Section 143 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and forced religious conversion under Section 4 of the Chhattisgarh Religious Freedom Act.
Father Michael Pulickal of the Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council (KCBC) told ThePrint the arrest was based on 'false and baseless' allegations of religious conversion and trafficking made by Bajrang Dal members. He added that both the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI) and the KCBC have sought the prime minister's intervention in the matter.
'Forced conversion is not the Catholic Church's agenda. Even when people approach us for conversion, we follow a long and detailed process. This is just an allegation. The girls are over 18 and adults, so if they're traveling in public transport, how can it be human trafficking?' he asked.
The priest said the issue stemmed from deep-rooted communal prejudice, as the girls were simply traveling with Christian nuns.
Kerala-based political analyst C.R. Neelankandan said the incident will likely harm the BJP's image in the state.
'Only in Kerala does the Christian community welcome the BJP. Outside, it's a different story. Even the church here remained silent during similar incidents in other parts of the country. But that won't continue now,' he said.
Political turn
However, the issue took a political turn as the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) highlighted the attacks against the minorities in BJP-ruled states.
On Tuesday, LDF MPs including senior CPI(M) leader K. Radhakrishnan, Rajya Sabha members A.A. Rahim, P.P. Suneer, and Jose K. Mani left Delhi for Chhattisgarh. They were accompanied by CPI(M) Politburo member Brinda Karat and CPI national leader Annie Raja. From the UDF, legislators Roji M. John, Saji Joseph, N.K. Premachandran, Benny Behanan and Francis George are also visiting the state.
In Kerala, Tourism and PWD Minister P.A. Muhammed Riyas said on Tuesday called for a nationwide protest, saying the Constitution has been 'jailed' under the Narendra Modi government.
'Since the Modi government came to power, attacks against Christians and religious minorities have intensified. The country is seeing anti-human policies like never before. Poverty, unemployment, and inflation have risen,' he said.
'To distract from this, hatred is being injected, and communalism implemented. It is Modi and the BJP who are pushing this. Fear is being spread. In reality, the prime minister is not Narendra Modi. It is Narendra Fear. Narendra Fear is ruling India today.'
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Impact on BJP's outreach in poll-bound Kerala
The incident comes as the southern state is headed for crucial local body polls and Assembly elections, putting the BJP on the back foot.
The BJP has made concerted efforts to engage the Christian community through state and central leaders visiting church heads frequently, launching its Sneha Yatra outreach programme during festivals like Christmas and Easter since 2023, and appointing Christian leaders to key positions, including George Kurian's recent induction as a minister of state in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government in 2024.
On 12 July, the BJP revamped its leadership under the new party chief, Rajeev Chandrasekhar. It appointed three Christians–Shone George, Anoop Antony Joseph and Jiji Joseph–to its state committee.
According to the 2011 Census, Hindus account for 54.73 percent of Kerala's population, followed by 26.56 percent Muslims and 18.38 percent Christians.
With the Hindu vote bank split among all the political fronts, the support of the minority community, which holds significant cultural and political sway, is necessary for the BJP to make inroads in the state.
BJP's Shone George told ThePrint the incident would not impact the party's prospects in Kerala. 'We can't control every organisation. These incidents will happen. What we're trying to do is rescue them. This might affect us negatively in the short term. But at the end of the day, we'll be able to show the public and the community what we've done,' he said.
He added that interference by the LDF and the UDF would only negatively affect the case.
The party also sent a delegation, led by its general secretary Anoop Antony, to Chhattisgarh on Tuesday. The group met with Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai and Deputy CM and Home Minister Vijay Sharma.
Following the meeting, Anoop said the government and the chief minister assured them that they are 'committed to helping the Christian community' and expressed optimism that a solution would soon be found.
'These matters are being seriously discussed, and further legal action will follow,' he said.
Anoop added that the incident began when one of the girls showed signs of distress while accompanied by a young man, before the nuns arrived. He claimed the situation was later politicised in the state for electoral gains.
'Let me say, north India is a vast world. Different people, cultures, laws… many things. Often, the sensitivity of such matters is not easily understood by those in Kerala. But from the beginning, Rajeev and the BJP's team have intervened and done everything necessary,' he said. 'We are not seeing this as a political issue. As said earlier, if someone from anywhere in the world is in trouble, Modi ji's politics is to go and rescue them.'
Notably, the Catholic Church has recently spoken out against what it called the BJP's 'double standards' on Christian persecution in the nation.
An editorial published in Deepika, the Catholic Church's official mouthpiece, on 14 July highlighted the growing number of attacks against Christians across India.
Titled 'Applauding the hunter while patting the prey?', it called the BJP's approach 'deeply humiliating' and alleged that while the party presents itself as an ally to Christians in states like Goa and Kerala, it allows persecution of the community in northern states.
'We are not political. As far as the church is concerned, we don't interfere in personal political preferences as long as they align with our beliefs and moral values. All parties approach us because we are a community, and we don't distance anyone. But we do oppose divisive political forces,' Father Michael said.
(Edited by Sugita Katyal)
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