Christians in Gujarat condemn gangrape of nun in West Bengal

Ahmedabad: Members of the Christian community on Friday held a demonstration in Ahmedabad to condemn the alleged gangrape of a 71-year-old nun in West Bengal’s Nadia district. The demonstrators who came together to register their protest, formed an organisation to raise their voice over atrocities against the marginalised communities. [caption id=“attachment_2165395” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  A group of nuns hold a protest march in Agartala. PTI[/caption] “We formed Gujarat United Christian Forum for Human Rights (GUCFHR) today to express our voice against the increased atrocities on deprived communities. We will give representations regarding this to the state governments and the Centre and to Ahmedabad district collector,” Father Cedric Prakash, Convener of the organisation- GUCFHR, said. Bishop of Ahmedabad Father Thomas Mcwan said the organisation would lead a march across the state by spreading awareness about the constitutional rights of marginalised communities like Dalits, tribals and religious minorities. There is an increasing attempt to clinch the rights given by the Constitution, by those in the ruling party and we will hold protests against this in the state, Mcwan said. “Recently, we saw various things that went against the rights of those deprived communities in the entire country, including the barbaric rape on a nun in West Bengal and hence we have decided to raise our voice against such atrocities,” he said. NGOs like People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP), Anhad, Sanchetna, Sahr Waru, Darshan, Insaf, Ahmedabad Women Action Group (AWAG) and Safar took part in the protest at Sardar Baugh area here. PUCL state convener Gautam Thakar alleged that the right-wing extremist groups like RSS and VHP were trying to create fear-psychosis among the minorities. “The Centre is constantly trying to curtail the rights even of MPs…then one can understand how easily they can curb the democratic rights of common people. Everybody needs to be united against such attempts,” Thakar added. PTI