Nasirabad146;s shame

For how long will politicians abdicate their responsibility to maintain peace instead of inciting the public for atavistic electoral gains? ...

For how long will politicians abdicate their responsibility to maintain peace instead of inciting the public for atavistic electoral gains? A shameful incident, which occurred in Nasirabad 8212; a nondescript town 30 km from Ajmer 8212; last month is a telling comment on this widespread decay even in a Congress-ruled state like Rajasthan.

On September 9 Father Melvin D8217;Souza, a hostel warden of St Martin8217;s School in nearby Bhawanikhera was arrested for allegedly sodomising residents of the school hostel and taken to the Nasirabad police station.

Soon, jeep-loads of villagers from surrounding areas descended on the town 8212; a well orchestrated campaign led by luminaries of sundry Hindu organisations and parties. Members of the local media were also summoned. At this juncture, Father Jose Mathias, principal of one of Ajmer8217;s most prestigious missionary schools, 99-year-old St Anselm8217;s, drove into Nasirabad.

On alighting from his car, he was mobbed by the crowd who had angrily gheraoed the police station. Protesting that he had refused school admission to their wards and had arrived to exert pressure on the police certain persons accosted the Father.

After slapping and abusing him, they forced him into the humiliating posture of a 8216;murga8217;. Meanwhile, the dozen policemen present remained in the police station were kept at bay by the infuriated 200-strong mob.

To add insult to Father Jose8217;s injury, the local local media captured photographs of him in that posture and a leading Hindi daily in the state published them.

Worse was to follow. These explicit photographs were exploited by former general secretary of the Ajmer Youth Congress, Rajiv Sharma, 35, self-appointed vigilante and patron of a narcissistic forum, the Jagriti Manch, who has set up a voyeuristic website: 8216;ajmeri murga8217;.

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The site opens with the offensive photograph of the Father, followed by clippings on the misdeeds of alleged paedophile, Father Melvin D8217;Silva. Surfers would be misled into believing that the photograph of Father Jose is actually that of D8217;Silva.

A traumatised Father Jose Mathias refrained from immediately lodging an FIR with the police, fearing the repercussions of this action. He did so only on October 3, after a cross-section of political parties had fanned communal sentiments to fever pitch.

Today the sleepy Bhawanikhera has morphed into a pilgrimage centre for BJP and VHP leaders to deliver fiery, anti-Christian speeches. When I visited the spot, a crowd sitting on dharna chanted slogans of 8216;Bharat Mata Ki Jai8217; and spewing anti-Christian venom.

Ajmer SP Saurabh Srivastava declares that he will take stern action against the guilty. But no arrests have been made so far. Rajasthan High Court advocate Raghu Chauhan informs that a strong case can be made out under sections 298 and 341 of the IPC.

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Meanwhile a deputation of Christians 8212; the community constitutes a minuscule 0.11 per cent of Rajasthan8217;s population 8212; submitted a memorandum to Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot urging him to ensure that justice was done and the innocent were not targeted.