Two Nuns Attacked Near Mumbai, 13 Arrested

MUMBAI, MARCH 22., 2008 (CBCI News):

A mob of about 50 armed men and women, attacked two nuns who were organising an AIDS awareness programme for local tribals in the seaside town of Alibag in Raigad district of Maharashtra on Mar. 15.

Sr Merciana Tuscano and Sr Philomena D’Mello, three adivasi minor girls: Sangeetha Nayak (16), Lani Nayak (17) and Sonali Nayak (17) and the driver Bernard Martis, were brutally attacked.

Shortly after the mob left, the two nuns were rushed to the Alibag Civil Hospital for treatment.

“Communal elements, allegedly followers of a Hindu godman, bearing his badges attacked and thrashed two nuns of the Congregation of Carmelite Religious, three teenage tribal girls and the driver on March 15,” said Fr Tony Charanghat, spokesperson of Bombay Archdiocese.

The incident occur red at around 10.30 am in Sahangoti village of Alibaug taluka when
women Adivasis were gathering together to celebrate Women’s Day on March 15, 2008.

Sanghoti is near Alibag, headquarters of Raigad district, 120 kilometers south of Mumbai.

It was an AIDS awareness programme to be addressed by Sucheta Patwadhan
and promotion of a government unemployment scheme under the instruction of the Collector.

According to reports, the incident took place when Sister Mercy’s Catholic group was preparing to conduct an empowerment programme for about 500 women from seven villages in Sanghoti village.

Thirteen people have been arrested in connection with the incident so far. They were released later.

Tension still prevails in the area.

Minority groups have slammed law enforcement agencies for not taking adequate action against the communal elements in the region and arresting them on frivolous charges.

An eyewitness account said that during the attack the radical group accused the nuns of converting Hindu tribals of the area to Christianity. However, the tribals came forward to rescue the two nuns.

The Carmelite Sisters run a popular school and have been involved with social work among the tribals for the last 13 years and the locals feel that they were “unfairly targeted.”