Churches condemn arrest of nuns, demand immediate release
Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church raised concerns over the incident. Malankara Association secretary Biju Oommen said a trial by the mob, led by organisations with an extremist nature, was cruel.
"Our democratic society will differentiate between the approaches of persecuting in north India and appeasement bid in Kerala. The situation where minorities are not given the freedoms enshrined in the Constitution is worrying. The misuse of anti-conversion laws is becoming a recurring theme," he said. He demanded the immediate release of the two nuns.
Head of Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church Theodosius Mar Thoma metropolitan condemned the arrests, saying such incidents against nuns are a violation of fundamental rights and will weaken Indian democracy.
He urged for ensuring legal protection to the nuns and wanted them free at the earliest.
Bishop of Madhya Kerala diocese of Church of South India (CSI) Sabu Koshy Cherian strongly condemned the arrests and urged Centre to intervene in the matter. "CSI Church firmly believes that the central govt has the responsibility to allay fears of minorities here and the entire Christian community," he said. Cherian indicated that the issue came up in discussions between various churches and bishops in Kerala.
Kerala Council of Churches stated that the arrest of Malayali nuns in Chhattisgarh on charges of religious conversion and human trafficking is condemnable and a challenge to Indian secularism. In a joint statement, president Alexios Mar Eusebius metropolitan and general secretary Prakash P Thomas demanded Centre's urgent intervention.
"Making the general public communal and narrow-minded and denying them freedom of movement without fear is an insult to a secular and democratic nation.
Subjecting individuals, who are selflessly working in social service and nation-building, to mob trials in the name of religion, arresting them on false charges and imprisoning them is evidence of the legal system becoming biased," .
Meanwhile, Kerala Congress (Mani) on Monday organised marches across the state in protest against the arrests. At the state-level inauguration of the dharna in front of the post office in Kottayam, Job Michael, MLA, a member of the party's high-power committee, urged Prime Minister's immediate intervention to release both the nuns.
Kottayam MP Francis George submitted a memorandum to PM Narendra Modi and Chhattisgarh chief minister protesting the incident and demanding the nuns' release.
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