Bengaluru archdiocese condemns arrest of nuns in Chhattisgarh

Bengaluru: The Christian community in Karnataka, led by Peter Machado, the Archbishop of Bengaluru, has expressed "deep anguish and concern" over the recent arrest of two Catholic nuns from Kerala in Chhattisgarh. In a memorandum submitted to the Governor of Karnataka, the community condemned the arrests of Sisters Preeti Mary and Vandana Francis, along with a young man, at Durg Railway Station on July 26.

The nuns, from the Assisi Sisters of Mary Immaculate (ASMI) congregation, were accompanying three young women for what the memorandum described as "academic or vocational purposes." The memo states that they were unjustly charged under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Chhattisgarh Religious Freedom Act, 1968, for alleged human trafficking and religious conversion.

Machado's letter highlights that the charges "appear to be motivated by suspicion and prejudice," noting that the ASMI congregation has a long history of service in education, healthcare, and women's empowerment.

The memorandum urges the governor to intervene by conveying the community's concerns to the Chhattisgarh authorities and advocating for a fair and transparent investigation. It also calls for the protection of religious workers from harassment and communal bias. The memorandum further appeals for the repeal of the Anti-Conversion Bill, which the community argues infringes upon the constitutional right to freedom of religion and is being used to target religious minorities.