Hindu girl tortured by Christian employer

Posted December 15, 2003
The Organiser

Manjula (14), a young tribal girl of Orissa’s Deogarh district, was tortured both mentally and physically by her nun employer and Christian neighbours—her fault being that she was born to Hindu parents. Had Manjula been a Muslim or Christian girl, help would have been showered on her both nationally and internationally. But in the case, the pseudo-secular intellectuals, the leaders of women liberation movement, guardians of human rights and even the media.

Manjula, daughter of Karnalios Kindo used to work as a domestic aid with a nun, Mina of Deogarh’s neighbouring Budurupada Church. The nun, while going to Mumbai took Manajula with her. But there, the tribal girl was treated inhumanly and the so-called followers of love and compassion, the nun and her Christian neighbours showed little sympathy to her. Away from her parents she was subjected to such torture that it breaks Manjula to tears when she reminds the black days of her life. She was left to starve for days together. She was even beaten up by her ruthless and uncompassionate masters who, Manjula says, were not human beings but incarnation of devils on earth.

When Manjula tried to report her plight in the local police station in Mumbai, pleading her return to her parents, the Nun made Manjula arrested by the Mumbai police. She was put behind bars for no fault of hers. while Manjula’s poor parents enquired about their daughter, the nun treated them as servants. She extended dates after dates of Manjula’s return to Deogarh. Mumbai police sent Manjula to Berhampur jail in Orissa. It was here that Manjula was able to communicate her sufferings to the jail authorities and her parents were summoned to Berhampur. Finally, the poor girl was returned back to her parents on November 19, 2003 at Berhampur. Meanwhile, an FIR ws lodged in Deogarh police station by Manjula and her parents sought strong action against the nun Mina and her associates.

This is the story of the same Deogarh, where the entire Christian fraternity—nationally and internationally—has showed concern for the alleged burning of the Bible. On the target were RSS, VHP and Bajrang Dal though the public in Deogarh was up in arms against conversion by allurement, inducement and with use of fraudulent means, which Freedom of Religion Act of the State Government prohibits. Is there anybody to take up the cause of Manjula and her poor tribal parents also?