Two Nuns and two questions

The nuns kept in custody 

Two Catholic nuns were arrested on 25 July 2025 at Durg railway station for allegedly trafficking tribal women from Narayanpur in Chhattisgarh to Agra in UP. Today’s newspapers in Kerala have expressed their contempt of the act more vehemently than I had expected. It seems secularism has hope yet in this country.

For those who are not aware of the incident, two nuns were arrested because some criminals of a depraved organisation called Bajrang Dal in Chhattisgarh chose to conclude that the nuns were committing the crime of human-trafficking. Since that charge wouldn’t stick, because the women confessed that they were going voluntarily to take up jobs with the help of the nuns in order to raise their families from miserable poverty in a country that claims to be a $5-tillion-economy, another charge was fabricated that the nuns had indulged in religious conversion.

Now let us look at certain facts.

Though I keep questioning the Christian churches for ideological reasons, I confess that I am what I am today largely because of the Catholic church. I was educated mostly in their schools and college. I earned my livelihood too for most part of my life working in Catholic institutions. I may have a personal grudge against the Church, but I will never accuse them of exploiting anyone. On the contrary, I know that they do immense service especially in the areas of education and healthcare. Christianity has done more service to India in these areas than India’s political parties and political organisations.

Christianity was instrumental in introducing modern education in India. The missionaries set up schools and colleges that provided quality education among marginalised people including Dalits and women. Mission schools provided both formal and vocational training to lower-caste communities and helped them achieve social mobility and inclusion outside caste barriers. Today Christians run over 54,000 educational institutions in India, educating more than 6 crore students across religions, castes, and economic backgrounds. 72% of recognised minority schools in India are Christian-affiliated.

Similar is the contribution of Christians in the area of healthcare. Networks like the Christian Medical Association of India (CMAI) and the Catholic Health Association of India (CHAI) have long served India’s poorest, working classes across rural, tribal, and remote regions to address diseases like leprosy, tuberculosis, malaria, and HIV/AIDS.

After Modi came to power in 2014, anti-conversion laws have been enacted in over ten states and targeted Christian missionaries particularly in the tribal and other backward areas. There are hundreds of anti-Christian attacks taking place every year since 2014. Modi has done whatever in his power to destroy Christian organisations and institutions in India – like restricting or shuttering NGOs and blocking foreign fundings.

I have only stated some facts above.

Now, highly opinionated as I am accused to be, let me ask two questions:

1.     Why should any government prevent good works that help build up a better country?

2.     If the missionaries are indeed converting people to Christianity, then why isn’t the Christian population in India increasing?

I have a lot more to say in this regard. I choose to leave the rest to Indians who still possess individual and free thinking capacity.

Finally, if anyone wants to change their religion, who is the government to stop it?

If your devotees leave your religion, there is something wrong with your religion. Check that.