Christian Missionary Caught Exploiting and Abusing Hindu Girls at Haryana Orphanage
23 Aug 2024 16:41:52
A shocking tale of abuse and forced conversion has come out from an orphanage in Haryana, where operatives were Christian missionaries presenting it as a charitable service to society.
An orphanage operated by St. Joseph Service Society for almost 28 years is accused of severe physical abuse, religious indoctrination, and forced conversions of vulnerable Hindu girls.
The fact came to light when two girls who had escaped from the orphanage revealed the atrocities they had to face.
They reported that caretakers, including Sister Lucy and Fathers Jomen and Arun, used to incessantly beat them up and insult them, mostly regarding their religious beliefs.
The girls also asserted that they made them compulsorily pray according to the Christian rituals and never practised any form of worship pertaining to their faith.
It was further found that the orphanage was home to nearly 70 girls and it had no valid permission for its functioning. No action had been initiated by the authorities against the orphanage though.
The girls also revealed that those who refused to eat non-vegetarian food were given meagre rations of pickles either with rice or with bread in apparent disdain for their eating habits based on their religious beliefs.
In a surprising turn of events, it was revealed that close to 100 girls, upon reaching the age of 18, were forcefully shifted to Kerala, far away from their home states.
Many of them were even married off without consent, prompting considerable agitation as to why the girls were being moved. The charges suggest that the girls were victims of an organised brainwash scheme aimed at converting them to Christianity and thereby stripping them of their cultural and religious moorings.
The administration has responded very slowly to the situation. Though the case came into the limelight on July 19, an FIR was registered only on July 29. After the allegations came to light, there has been a lot of delay in quizzing the accused—all of whom are currently absconding.
Lethargy in this response, in particular with the gravity of accusations both under the Juvenile Justice Act and POCSO Act, has raised suspicions of a possible cover-up to protect those involved.
Moreover, the State Women's Commission has sought a probe into allegations that the girls had been forcibly taken to Kerala, where some of them got solemnised to Christian men.
Chairperson of State Women's Commission Renu Bhatia reacted sharply to the manner in which "such helpless Hindu girls were converted and married in such a short span", thereby leaving open the question as to whether such marriages were legally tenable and morally proper.
These revelations from the case have only underlined the fact that some of these missionary organisations pretending to be involved in charity are dangerous.
In many such outfits, which outwardly profess to protect and educate orphaned children, the most vulnerable girls out of them are exploited in pursuit of proliferating their religious agenda by stripping them of cultural identity and coercing conversions.
This incident serves as a grim reminder of the fact that religious institutions, particularly those dealing with the care of helpless children, have to be subject to stricter vigil and control.
The callous disregard by the Christian missionaries running the orphanage for the welfare of these hapless girls calls for stringent action to prevent the recurrence of such atrocities.
The authorities should see to it that the culprits are brought to book, and, at all costs, ensure protection for the rights and dignity of these children.