Bhopal: Two Catholic priests have been arrested in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh on charges of obstructing government officials during a surprise raid on a Catholic orphanage. Father E. P. Joshy, the youth director of Sagar diocese, and Father Naveen B were granted bail by a court on 8th May.
The pair were accused of preventing members of the state's child rights panel from inspecting the St. Francis Sevadham Orphanage in Shyampur, located in the Sagar diocese.
According to Father Joshy, the members of the child rights panel wanted to climb onto the altar of the church, which is considered divine by Catholics. When he and Father Naveen B objected, the inspection team summoned the police and the priests were allegedly thrashed in front of everyone.
The team inspected the orphanage, as well as the church, convent, presbytery, and two hostels of children. Orphanage officials claimed that the team destroyed computers, CCTVs, mobile phones, and important documents, and accused them of conversion charges.
The inspection team also took away a resident of the orphanage alleging complaints from his parents, but did not produce any documentary evidence to substantiate their claim, said Father Sinto Varghese, director of the orphanage.
The team has come under scrutiny earlier when in January 2022, the District Child Welfare Committee tried to evict 44 students on charges that they were made to eat beef and forced to convert to Christianity. The case was later proved false when a state court restrained the government from removing the students to a state-run facility.
The orphanage, which is located on a prime 277-acre plot of land granted to the Church during the colonial British era, has been under the scanner of the child rights panel multiple times. In December 2021, the panel tried to target the institution based on a false complaint of religious conversion.
The orphanage's licence renewal application has been pending before the right-wing government since 2020, and the matter is now pending before the High Court in Madhya Pradesh. Church sources claim that the property is targeted by land sharks, backed by Hindutva groups and the pro-Hindutva government in Madhya Pradesh state.
The pro-Hindutva Bharatiya Janta Party, which rules most Indian states including Madhya Pradesh, has enacted or sharpened sweeping anti-conversion laws. Christian leaders say these laws aim to target Christian missionary work.
The arrest of the two Catholic priests has sparked outrage among the Christian community in India, who claim that the inspection team violated the sanctity of the church and the orphanage. They have called for an independent inquiry into the matter and have demanded that the charges against the priests be dropped. They have also called for the protection of the orphanage and the residents living there.
The incident has once again highlighted the ongoing persecution of religious minorities in India, particularly Christians and Muslims. Despite India's secular constitution, religious minorities have faced increasing discrimination and violence under the pro-Hindutva government. The arrest of the two priests is seen as yet another example of the government's attempts to stifle religious freedom and target those who work with marginalized communities.