Dear GoaNetters: This is the first person account of the violence and rape that a Catholic nun faced in Orissa. When you read this horrendous piece, you will realize what kind of damage a communal bias or a desire for sensationalism in the media can inflict on people.
Rina Mukherji Kolkata From: "Dr. John Dayal" <catholicunion@ gmail.com> > To: "JohnDayal" <[EMAIL PROTECTED] ups.com> > Sent: Friday, October 24, 2008 7:01 PM > Subject: Statement made to the Media by Nun from Kandhamal, Orissa > > > > John Dayal's note: While the Catholic Nun who was gang-raped in the > violence in Kandhamal, Orissa on 25 August 2008 has signed this > statement, which she read out at a Press Conference in New Delhi > today, 24th October 2008, members of the Indian Media may recall the > Supreme Court Advisory on the use of names of victims of gender > violence.] > > Statement made to the Press by Sister Meena > > On 24th August, around 4:30pm, hearing the shouting of a large crowd, > at the gate of Divyajyoti Pastoral Centre, I ran out through the back > door and escaped to the forest along with others. We saw our house > going up in flames. Around 8:30 pm we came out of the forest and went > to the house of a Hindu gentleman who gave us shelter. > > On 25th August, around1:30 pm,the mob entered the room where I was > staying in that house, one of them stopped me on my face, caught my > hair and pulled me out of the house. Two of them were holding my neck > to cut off my head with axe. Others told them to take me out to the > road; I saw Fr. Chellan also being taken out and being beaten. The mob > consisting of 40-50 men was armed with lathis, axes, spades, crowbars, > iron-rods, sickles etc.They took both of us to the main road. Then > they led us to the burnt down Janavikas building saying that they were > going to throw us into the smouldering fire. > > When we reached the Janavikas building, they threw me to the verandah > on the way to the dining room which was full of ashes and broken glass > pieces. One of them tore my blouse and others my undergarments. Father > Chellan protested and they beat him and pulled him out from there. > They pulled out my saree and one of the stepped on my right hand and > another on my left hand and then a third person raped me on the > verandah mentioned above. When it was over, I managed to get up and > put my petticoat and saree. Then another young man caught me and took > me to a room near the staircase. He opened his pants and was > attempting to rape me when they reached there. > > I hid myself under the staircase. The crowd was shouting "where is > that sister, come let us rape her, at least 100 people should rape." > They found me under the staircase and took me out to the road. > There I > saw Fr. Chellan was kneeling down and the crowd was beating him. They > were searching for a rope to tie us both of us together to burn us in > fire. Someone suggested to make us parade naked. They made us walk on > the road till Nuagoan market which was half a kilometer from there. > They made to fold our hands and walk. I was with petticoat and saree > as they had already torn away my blouse and undergarments. They tried > to strip even there and I resisted and they went on beating me with > hands on my cheeks and head and with sticks on my back several times. > > When I reached the market the market place about a dozen of OSAP > policemen were there. I went to them asking to protect me and I > sat in > between two policemen but they did not move. One from the crowd again > pulled out from there and they wanted to lock us in their temple > mandap. The crowd led me and Fr. Chellan to the Nuagaon block building > saying that they will hand us over to BDO. From there along with the > block officer the mob took us to police outpost Nuagaon, other > policemen remained far. > > The mob said that they will come back after eating and one of them who > attacked me remained back in the police outpost. Policemen then came > to police outpost. They were talking very friendly with the man who > had attacked me and stayed back. In police outpost we remained until > the inspector in charge of Balliguda with his police team came and > took us to Balliguda. They were afraid to take us straight to the > police station and they kept us sometimes in jeep. In the garage, from > there, they brought us to the station. The inspector in charge and > other government officers took me privately and asked whatever > happened to me. I narrated everything in detail to the police, how I > was attacked, raped, taken away from policemen paraded half naked and > how the policemen did not help me when I asked for help while weeping > bitterly. I saw the inspector writing down. The inspector asked me > "are you interested in filing FIR? Do you know what will be the > consequence?" At about 10:00 pm I was taken for medical check-up > accompanied by a lady police officer to Balliguda Hospital . They were > afraid to keep us in police station, saying the mob may attack police > station. So the police took us to the IB (Inspection Bungalow) where > CRP men were camping. > > On 26th August around 9:00 am, we were taken to Balliguda police > station. When I was writing the FIR, the I I C asked me to hurry up > and not to write in detail. When I started writing about the police, > the I I C told me "this is not the way to write FIR, make it short". > So I re-wrote it for the third time in one and half page. I filed the > FIR but I was not given a copy of it. > > At around 4:00 pm the inspector in charge of Balliguda police station > along with some other government officers put us in the OSRTC bus to > Bhubaneswar along with other stranded passengers. Police were there > till Rangamati where all passengers had their supper. After that I did > not see the police. We got down near Nayagarh and traveled in a > private vehicle and reached Bhubaneswar around 2:00 am on 27th August. > > State Police failed to stop the crimes, failed to protect me from the > attackers, they were friendly with the attackers. They tried their > best that I did best that I did not register an FIR, not make > complaints against police, police did not take down my statement > as I > narrated in detail and they abandoned me half of the way. I was raped > and now I don't want to be victimized by the Orissa police. I want > CBI enquiry. > > God bless India , God bless you all. > > > Sr. Meena >
