Kochi/Kottayam: The Catholic nuns taking part in a four-day-old protest demanding the arrest of Jalandhar Bishop Franco Mulakkal, facing charges of raping a nun, said that they would continue the stir till the guilty bishop is arrested. The protest meanwhile has gained further traction with slew of persons from various walks of social and political life.
The Save Our Sisters Action Council, the organisers of the protest, said prominent cultural personalities would visit the nuns on Wednesday to declare their solidarity. A large number of public intellectuals like Prof M. Leelavathy, M.K. Sanu, C.R. Omanakuttan alo-ng with film maker Aashiq Abu, actor Ree-ma Kallingal and many others are scheduled to visit venue of the prot-est at the High Court Junction.
Declaring his solidarity with the nuns on Tuesday poet Balach-andran Chullikkad said the Bishop should be arrested lest the people not spit at those seeking votes for the Left Democratic Front in the next elections. Former Naxalite leader Philip M. Prasad, Ma-hila Congress leader Bindu Krishna, Natio-nal Women’s Forum’s L Naseema, Mahila Mor-cha’s Renuka Suresh and several others ca-me and declared their support. Congress leader V.M. Sudheeran sent a telephonic message expressing his support for the protest.
The SOS Action Cou-ncil comprises mainly members of reformist Christian outfits such Joint Christian Cou-ncil. Stephen, a member of JCC, is on hunger strike replacing Jose Joseph, a city-based advocate and member of JCC, who was shifted to a hospital on Sunday after his health deteriorated.
No external forces behind us: Nuns
The striking nuns of the Missionaries of Jesus congregation have denied that external forces were behind them as alleged by the MJ congregation. They said they were conducting the strike on their own to get justice for the victim nun. “Bishop Fran-co is behind the opp-osition raised by the congregation who di-sowned our strike,” the nuns said at Kuravilangadu.
They alleged that they were suppre-ssed in the name of obedience. “The co-mplaint of the nun is true and we will stand firmly by her,” they said.
They will file a complaint with the police against Mr P.C. George MLA for making defamatory remarks against them and the victim, they said.
The MJ congregation had on Monday condemned and disowned the sit-in-strike by five nuns of the congregation in Kochi. The congregation demanded an investigation to find out the external forces supporting the nuns.
