CATHOLIC NUN VALSA JOHN FROM KERALA KILLED IN JHARKHAND

CATHOLIC NUN VALSA JOHN FROM KERALA KILLED IN JHARKHAND

Catholic  nun Valsa John (52) who was involved in a movement against displacement of tribal people by coal mining companies in Jharkhand, was shot dead early on Wednesdy,16^th November,2011. The murder happened at Bachuwari village of pakur district 430 km from Ranchi. The police suspect the coal mafia to be behind it.

  In the immediate context, she had been protesting against the functioning of a private coalmine in pakur district. She was staging in Bachwari for the last 12 years, all by herself. She was seeking to protect the interests of the Santhal tribe.Some members of which were displaced by panem coal mines.

 According to the police some unidentified men approached her house around mid night. When she opened the door, she was beaten with sticks and hacked to death. The nun,who hailed from Kerala, was arrested in 2007 after she protested against the functioning a coal mine on tribal land.

  She was protesting against mining corporation that were exploiting the tribal people of the Pakur region,said Father Joseph, a local spokes person for the Catholic Church. We have appealed to the government for an investigation. Sister Valsa John had told her family members in Vazhakala at Kakkanad in Ernakulum district that she faced death threats from the mining mafia, one of her brothers said on Wednesday.

  During a visit in August, she spoke of death threats from the coal mining mafia that she was fighting in order to protect the tribal community. Baby her younger brother, said He said sister also spoke to her elder sister in Kochi over the phone on Tuesday evening and discussed her problems. Sister Valsa was a member of the Sister of Charity of Jesus and Mary Congregation for the last 24 years.

  Mr Baby, along with one his sister, is set to leave for Jharkhand to attend the funeral. The Kerala Catholic Bishop’s Council, apex body of the Catholic hierarchy in the state expressed’ deep sorrow’ at the murder of the nun.  Sister Valsa John, a member of the religious Congregation of the sisters of Charity of Jesus and Mary, in Pakur district of Jharkhand late on Thursday night. President of the Bishops Council Archbishop Andrews Thazhath of Thrissur said the dreadful murder was indefensible. He called on the Jharkhand government to investigate the murder and bring the guilty to book. The Bishop’s ouncil called on society at  large to unite in a fight against forces that attempted to eradicate Christian missionaries, who worked for the general  good of society.

A nun-cum-activist who was beaten to death two days ago in Jharkhand was probably killed by local tribals, police said Thursday, ruling out the possibility of Maoists or the coal mafia being involved."It seems she was killed by the tribal people," Deputy Inspector General of Police of Sathal region V.K. Pandey .Around 40 people Tuesday night raided Pachuwara village in Jharkhand's Pakur district -- 500 km from here -- and hacked to death Valsa John, 52, from Kerala's Ernakulam district. Asked about the possibility of the coal mafia or Maoists being involved in the killing, Pandey said: "There is no possibility the coal mafia or Maoists killed her." Sister Valsa John came nearly a decade ago to Pakur district as a teacher in a mission run school. Later, she opened a school and taught students up to Class 4. She came out in support of people who were opposing displacement due to the Panam coal mine in 2006. She earned the respect of the tribal people for spearheading the movement against Panam coal mine.Police said she later developed a soft corner for the coal company and started staying away from the district. "It seems local tribal people developed some grudge against her as she was staying away from the district. She had arrived at Pakur from Kerala in the first week of the month and had to face protests by tribal people," Pandey said.

Cardinal Telesphore P Toppo has demanded swift investigation into the murder of Sr Valsa, who belonged to the Sisters of Charity of Jesus and Mary Congregation. She worked for the welfare of the people belonging to a place which is far away from her home in Kerala, and her murder is a shameful development for the entire state, he remarked.

Kottappuram Bishop Joseph Karikkassery has expressed deep sorrow over the murder of Sr Valsa John, of Sisters of Charity of Jesus and Mary Congregation, at Pachwada in Pakur district in Jharkhand by unidentified persons on Tuesday. Sr Valsa, of Vazhakkala in Kochi, was serving as missionary among the downtrodden in Pakur district for the last two decades. She had organised the local people to protest against the exploitation of the coal mafia. Her action had turned out to be the sore of the eyes of the coal mafia. It is suspected that the anti-social elements under the instigation of coal mafia were behind the killing of the nun. Bishop Karikkassery said that such incidents should not occur in a civilised democratic society. He urged the Jharkhand Government to take immediate steps to bring the culprits to book.

The public consciousness should be awakened against the concerted move to eliminate the missionaries who worked for the progress of society. The Bishop said that the entire faithful of Kottappuram Diocese share the sorrow and grief of the family members and the Congregation of Sr Valsa. A special prayer session will be held in Sr Valsa’s parish Church, St George Forane Church, Edappalli, at 9 am on Thursday.

   The Kerala Kavya Kala Sahithy, Kottarakara and Kurakar Cultural Forum Karickom has expressed “Deep Sorrow at the murder of Sister Valsa John. The association called on the Jharkhant state government to investigate urgently the murder and bring the criminals to court.

                                                                    Prof. John Kurakar