Kerala’s CPI(M) Launches Statewide Protests Over Arrest of Nuns in Chhattisgarh; Political Tensions Escalate Nationwide

 CPI(M) and allied leaders mobilise protests in Kerala while MPs visit imprisoned nuns in Chhattisgarh, underscoring deepening political divide over allegations of forced religious conversion

Agencies, July 31, 2025 Chhattisgarh : The Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] has announced statewide demonstrations in Kerala on August 3 and 4 to protest against the recent arrest of two nuns from Kerala and a tribal man in Chhattisgarh, a state governed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). CPI(M) State Committee Secretary M.V. Govindan said Left Democratic Front (LDF) supporters will stage protest marches and conventions across 140 assembly constituencies to highlight what they describe as the persecution of Christian communities in BJP-ruled states—despite the party’s simultaneous efforts to court minority voters in Kerala.

The arrests in Durg, Chhattisgarh, have ignited widespread outrage across the country following charges of human trafficking and forced religious conversion levied against two Kerala-origin nuns—Vandana Francis and Preethi Mary—and tribal youth Sukhaman Mandavi. While the BJP-led Chhattisgarh administration under Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai has supported the arrests, citing illegal conversion activities in tribal areas, the BJP’s Kerala leadership has taken a more cautious stance, conscious of the significant Christian electorate in their state ahead of elections.

On the morning of Friday, four Kerala Members of Parliament—Habib E. Eden, Dean Kuriakose, Kodikunnil Suresh, and Anto Antony—arrived in Raipur and then proceeded to Durg jail to meet the jailed nuns. They condemned the arrests as unjust and biased, and planned to meet the Chhattisgarh Director General of Police (DGP) the same day to formally register their objections. The MPs pledged to raise the issue in parliament if necessary.

The initial police action on July 25 involved the arrest of Sukhaman Mandavi for allegedly facilitating forced conversions of tribal girls under the guise of offering jobs in cities. Subsequent arrests included Vandana Francis, a nurse from Kannur, and Preethi Mary, a pharmacist from Ernakulam. According to the FIR filed, they are accused of forcibly converting three women from Narayanpur district, connected to the Catholic Sisters of Mary Immaculate (Green Gardens). The accused reportedly brought girls to urban centers with promises of employment before coercing them into conversion. Multiple similar cases have been reported across Chhattisgarh, and the police are actively investigating.

Following the arrests, political activity intensified from the south to the north of India. A UDF delegation led by Kerala Congress representatives—including MP Benny Behanan, MP Saptagiri Ulka, Revolutionary Socialist Party leader N.K. Premchandran, and Kerala Congress’s K. Francis George—visited the nuns in Durg central jail. Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel stated that the matter has been raised in the Lok Sabha, emphasizing that minorities across the country increasingly feel insecure and are often targeted in BJP-governed states for political gains.

In Chhattisgarh, allegations of illegal conversions are widespread. Reports suggest that in 56 out of 130 slum settlements in Raipur, mass conversions carried out by Christian missionaries have taken place. Budding Extremist groups like Bajrang Dal have accused missionaries of deceitfully targeting economically vulnerable Hindus, often offering monetary inducements. The backlash led to protests, and while five individuals were arrested after the unrest, they were later released, sparking further demonstrations at the police station. Activists claim that conversion has been systematically orchestrated over the past few years.

The CPI(M)-led demonstrations in Kerala come amid escalating controversy and political polarization. The party maintains that the arrests are part of a broader campaign to intimidate minority communities, while BJP leaders insist that genuine criminal investigations are underway. As both sides dig in, Kerala’s streets and Chhattisgarh’s jail halls have become focal points in what promises to be a high-voltage political confrontation ahead of upcoming elections.

All eyes are now on state capitals and Delhi as coalition leaders from Kerala and opposition figures converge to protest, while law enforcement and judicial processes in Chhattisgarh proceed under intense national scrutiny.