[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 127 (Monday, September 27, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1972]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                   HINDUS ABDUCT, ABUSE NUN IN INDIA

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JOHN T. DOOLITTLE

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, September 27, 1999

  Mr. DOOLITTLE. Mr. Speaker, I was distressed to read an article from 
the Indian Express of September 24 which reported that a nun was 
abducted in the Indian state of Bihar. This is the state where a priest 
was beheaded last year. Will the religious violence in India never 
stop?
  I thank Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh, President of the Council of 
Khalistan, for bringing this terrible event to my attention.
  Sister Ruby of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Immaculate 
Heart of Mary was abducted September 20 after being forced into a 
rickshaw in the village of Chapra. The kidnappers threatened to rape 
her. The two men accused Sister Ruby of trying to convert Hindus and 
they threatened to ``teach all Christians a lesson.''
  This is unfortunately typical. Christians were subjected to a wave of 
church burnings, as well as attacks on prayer halls and schools earlier 
this year. Another priest was murdered last week. Missionary Graham 
Staines and his two sons, ages 8 and 10, were burned to death while 
they slept in their Jeep by a Hindu fundamentalist mob. Last year four 
nuns were raped and four priests were murdered. In 1997, police broke 
up a Christian festival with gunfire.
  These incidents are related to religious conversions by members of 
the lower castes. To the Hindu militants, all conversions are forced 
conversions.
  But it is not just the Christians who have suffered from this kind of 
religious persecution. Many of my colleagues and I have detailed the 
religious repression of Sikhs and Muslims by the Indian government and 
its agents and allies. Sikhs continue to be murdered for their religion 
and their Golden Temple remains under surveillance by plainclothes 
police officers fifteen years after the Indian government's attack on 
the Sikh Nation's holiest shrine. Muslims have seen their most revered 
mosque in India destroyed and many of their adherents killed.
  We should support the right of the minority peoples of Khalistan, 
Kashmir, and Nagaland to a free and fair vote on independence from 
India.
  Mr. Speaker, I insert the Indian Express report on the abduction of 
Sister Ruby into the Record.

               [From the Indian Express, Sept. 24, 1999]

           Nun Kidnapped, Stripped in Bihar; Bishops Protest

                          (By Arun Srivastava)

       Patna.--A nun was kidnapped, tied up and stripped in Chapra 
     on September 20.
       The nun, belonging to the congregation of the Sisters of 
     the Immaculate Heart (better known as Pondicherry Blue 
     Sisters), was forcefully taken in an autorickshaw by two 
     unidentified men on Monday morning to a secluded spot. Her 
     hands were tied behind her back, she was stripped and was 
     forced to drink their urine.
       The nun, who hails from Pondicherry, came to Bihar recently 
     and does not know the dialect. She is an inmate of the St. 
     Joseph's Convent in Khalpura Inchapra which is involved in 
     working with the poorest of the poor.
       She had left her convent around 9 in the morning for Gandhi 
     Chowk from where she took an autorickshaw for the local post 
     office. There were two men in the autorickshaw.
       When she realised that she was being taken through an 
     unfamiliar route, she asked to be dropped off. They did not 
     stop the vehicle and one of them took out a knife, threatened 
     to kill her and accused her of converting people.
       He asked her why she and others were still in Chapra and 
     why they have not left for south India. He told her that 
     Christians would be taught a lesson once the elections were 
     over.
       According to the Bishop of Bettiah, who in a statement 
     narrated the whole incident, the nun was dragged out of the 
     vehicle, her hands tied and then she was stripped. The two 
     men urinated in a bottle and threatened to rape her when she 
     refused to drink.
       Later she was given back her clothes and warned not to 
     contact anyone on the phone. One of the attackers followed to 
     make sure that she did as told. Director General of Police A 
     R Jacob said: ``I have been briefed by the Bishop of Patna 
     about the incident.'' He added: ``Right now, I am unable to 
     say anything about the incident. But I am seriously looking 
     into it. I can assure that no one will be spared.''
       Jacob has assigned IG A K Gupta and the SP of Chapra to 
     ``personally investigate the matter.'' He has also sent to 
     Chapra a senior woman officer who knows Tamil to investigate 
     the incident.
       The DGP said the FIR was filed only today as the local 
     police station refused to register the case yesterday because 
     the petition was in English. He is also looking into the 
     delay in registering the case. The Bishop of Bettiah, Rev 
     Victor Henry Thakur, visited the convent. The Archbishop 
     Benedict J Osta and the Bishop of Bettiah have strongly 
     condemned the outrageous attack and have demanded a thorough 
     probe.
       They stated that the Christians will not be frightened by 
     such threats and will continue to serve the poor and the 
     distressed more zealously.
       Allen R Johannes, press secretary of the Diocese of 
     Bettiah, said the ugly and inhuman act has shocked the entire 
     Christian community in North Bihar and is creating an 
     atmosphere of fear and panic among the Christian minority as 
     the news spreads over the state.

     

                          ____________________