Bishop says rape pained all

Vivek Chhetri, TT, Darjeeling, March 17: The bishop of the Darjeeling Catholic diocese today said the rape of an elderly nun at a convent at Ranaghat had pained the entire humanity and Christians in the hills were feeling insecure after the incident.

Bishop Stephen Lepcha today met the Darjeeling district magistrate and superintendent of police to condemn the robbery and the rape of a 74-year-old nun at Convent of Jesus and Mary High School at Ranaghat, Nadia, on Saturday.

The bishop is also the president of the Darjeeling United Christian Society, a joint forum of various Christian denominations.

"The Ranaghat incident has pained, not just the Christian minority but the entire humanity. There is lot of a spontaneous anger as this is a crime against humanity," Lepcha told the media after the meeting with the DM and the SP.

The bishop said there was a positive response from the DM and the SP.

"As all of us know, crimes against minorities are increasing rapidly in various parts of our country, like vandalising churches, theft at minority institutions and obstructing prayer service and now even raping an elderly nun. These incidents have made us feel terribly insecure in our own homeland. We wonder why these evil things are happening and what could be the source of such hatred towards us?" asked Lepcha.

"Even though there is complete communal harmony in the hills, much more than in other places, we do not know what might happen tomorrow. We fear it (such incidents) might come in the hills. Anything could happen tomorrow and we are not feeling secure," said the bishop.

He said prayer services had been conducted in schools and colleges and churches today to pray for peace and harmony.

"We are also praying for the accused for their change of heart and to bring about real peace and harmony in our country."

Although there has been no communal tension in the hills, the Holy Cross at Cross Dara in Pedong, Kalimpong, had been desecrated just before the 2009 Lok Sabha elections. "After the polls (in 2009), a grotto of Mother Mary was desecrated at Kashyang, just below Pedong," said Fr Peter L. Lepcha, the general secretary of the Society.