Sulthan Bathery: Wayanad’s Bathery witnessed a powerful outpouring of public dissent as hundreds gathered to protest the controversial arrest of two Keralite Catholic nuns in Durg, Chhattisgarh. The protest rally, organized jointly by KCYM, Catholic Congress, CML, and Matruvedi, vehemently condemned what they called an unjust and politically motivated detention, denouncing it as a deep stain on India’s secular fabric.
The detained nuns known for their tireless service in the fields of education, healthcare, and empowerment of the underprivileged were taken into custody by authorities allegedly influenced by Bajrang Dal activists. They were accused of religious conversion and human trafficking, charges that activists and Church leaders argue are both baseless and defamatory.
The protestors emphasized that the nuns were accompanying young women with full parental consent and legal documents. Yet, instead of respecting the constitutional freedom of movement and expression, the incident has reportedly turned into an attempt to coerce the nuns into providing false confessions an act termed by the protestors as a gross violation of human dignity and civil rights.
Forona Vicar Fr. Thomas Manakunnel inaugurated the rally held at the Assumption Church premises, asserting that “India cannot call itself a secular democracy while allowing such witch-hunts against religious minorities.” The keynote address by Catholic Congress Mananthavady Diocese President Mr. Johnson Thozhuthungal highlighted the broader context of increasing religious intolerance and weaponization of the law.
A host of community leaders and clergy voiced solidarity during the protest. KCYM Bathery Regional Director Fr. Aneesh Alungal, Sister Dr. Liz Mathew S.H., Fr. Sam Prakash, and several organizational presidents including Mr. Amal Thozhuthungal (KCYM), Ansible Vazhappillithattil (CML), Davy Mankuzh (Catholic Congress), and Alphonsa Poovakkulam (Mathruvedi) delivered strong messages of resistance.
The rally concluded with a unified call for immediate withdrawal of the false charges and the unconditional release of the nuns. “We will not remain silent as truth is trampled and service is punished,” one protestor declared.
The protest in Bathery is part of a growing wave of nationwide concern over the shrinking space for religious freedom and minority rights in India.