Five Catholic Nuns Brutally Attacked In Rajasthan

By SAR NEWS
BANSWARA, Rajasthan, Oct 28 (SAR NEWS) -- An uneasy calm prevails in Banswara after five Catholic nuns were brutally attacked by Hindu activists at Bhandaria in Banswara district, October 25 morning, while they were waiting for a bus to travel to Udaipur.
Sixty-eight-year-old Sister Rosario, one of the victims, said that she along with four of her colleagues were waiting at the bus stop at 5 a.m. on October 25 when a youth on a motorbike spotted them and rushed to the a nearby ashram hostel and returned with over a dozen boys armed with canes and weapons.
In the meantime, a state-owned bus arrived and while the nuns were about to board it, the rowdies tried to pull the nuns down and beat them. Sister Rosario and her 62-year-old colleague were badly beaten with canes while Sister Flora, 65, was pushed down in the melee. The nuns were brought to Udaipur and admitted to the government hospital.
Tension has been brewing in Banswara since October 16 when the Sangh Parivar raised objections to a function organized in connection with the conclusion of the Eucharistic Year, alleging that it aimed at converting the tribals. Sensing trouble, the Church authorities informed the district administration about the event. However, the Catholics who were arriving for the function October 16 were harassed on the way by Hindu activists. Passengers traveling in public transport buses to the function venue were frisked and Christians were forced to disembark.
Udaipur Bishop Joseph Pathalil’s vehicle was also prevented from reaching the venue. On his return journey, he was attacked with stones by RSS workers led by Moti Lal Patel and Rakesh Damor. Patel already has over a dozen cases against him pertaining to attack on Christians. Bishop Pathalil said his vehicle was attacked by Patel, Rakesh Damor and Parthing. But they were chased away by some Catholic youths accompanying the bishop in a bus. The trio fled the scene leaving the motorbike behind, threatening the Christian youths with dire consequences.
On October 21, while Sunil Baria and his friends Rocky and George, all Christians, were at a bus stand in Banswara city, the Sangh Parivar activists picked up a quarrel with them. A traffic policeman intervened and separated them, but soon the Sangh activists returned with weapons in a jeep bearing No. RJ 03-2091. They attacked Sunil and his friends with canes and swords, eyewitnesses said.
Sunil suffered severe head injuries and Rocky sustained injury on his back. The Sangh men allegedly also forced Rocky into a jeep in an attempt to kidnap him but he wriggled out and escaped, witnesses said.
Sunil’s anguished father, Lawrence Baria, tried to lodge a complaint with the Banswara police station, but instead of recording his statement, the senior policeman in charge, Inspector Abhay Singh Bhati, abused the activists and Christians for creating law and order problems and threatened Lawrence with charges of inciting communal violence.
Only after the intervention of higher police authorities and public pressure, a first information report (No. 371/G) was later registered by the local police. After the FIR, the culprits Moti Lal Patel and Taju, accused of murderous attack, were picked up by the police at 8 p.m. on October 22 but they duo was released half hour later. They were later found addressing a meeting to celebrate their “victory”.

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