Two Tribal Women Raped, Allegedly for not abandoning their Christian Faith , the Governor of Madhya Pradesh asks DG and CS enquiry Report.

Bhopal: Two tribal Christian women aged 22 and 24, of which one of them seven months pregnant, in Nadia, a village in Madhya Pradesh state's Khargon district; they say that they were gang-raped to avenge their refusal to leave the Christian faith. They are married to two brothers of the same family, and their families became Protestant Christians.

The woman along with Pastor Sarachand Chauhan, met the governor Dr. Balram Jhakar and presented their case. The governor asked the Director General of Police and Chief Secretary to send him the details of the case. He also asked for an action taken report from the officials. Pastor Chauhan said a medical examination has confirmed the rapes for further examinations the samples have been send for DNA test.

Narrating the incident, the younger woman said to the UCAN News "the men went into her house at around 10 p.m. when she was alone, her husband having gone to meet a relative. "I ran out of the house and took shelter in the house of my neighbours," she recalled, adding that despite her neighbour's attempts to pacify the gang, the men dragged her out to an open field.

Two men then stripped and raped her one after another. The rest of the gang stood around watching as the woman cried for help. When her husband and his friend rushed to her assistance, the men on guard beat them with bamboo and wooden sticks, she said.

Both women said the gang rape was in retaliation for their families' refusal to leave the Christian faith. Earlier that day, they said, the same men, whom they recognized as from the village, beat the husband of the younger woman and forced him to drink alcohol, while demanding that he renounce Christianity.

Pastor Chauhan who comes from Maharasta for Sunday worship says the normal custom of drinking liquor tribal is considered a taboo among the tribal Christians. The culprits forced them to drink liquor to defile the religion.

The elder woman, who said she is seven months pregnant, told UCA News the men overpowered her before she could run away or hide. After chasing her father-in-law from the house and beating her mother-in- law, who was trying to stop them, they dragged her outside, threw her on to a cot in front of the house and tore off her clothes. Three men then took turns raping her.

After the incident the women and their family members were kept like house arrest by the culprits. They threatened more attacks and death if the matter was reported to the police, the elder woman. After two days, however, the women managed to flee the village and reported the incidents to the police. The police refused to register their cases as the men involved are politically powerful and belong to the frontal organizations of the ruling party. The matter was registered after the interference from the collector and S P of the district administration.

The press release issued by the public relations office of the Regional Bishops Conference states that the church condemns the heinous crimes committed by the fundamental groups. The Archbishop Dr. Pascal Topno has asked administration for a detailed enquiry into the matter. Fr. Anand Muttungal, PRO & Spokesperson for the Regional Bishops Conference , said, " the Christianity is built on the blood of Christ and nurtured by the sacrifice of thousands of martyrs, it would be blunder if the fundamental organizations believe that Christianity can be finished of through violence."

The victim says that she embraced Christianity because she "got blessings from Jesus." According to her, she had had no children but was blessed with a child after becoming a Christian. Her family also experienced "much happiness" after some members got cured of some diseases, she added. She insisted they would never leave Christianity, whatever the consequences.

Fr. Anand Muttungal

Catholic Bishops Conference

Madhya Pradesh & Chattisgarh