Sister Sujata Jena, a lawyer and member of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, has denounced recent allegations of religious conversion by nuns in tribal areas as “unfounded and politically motivated.”
In an interview with Matters India, Sr. Jena, who serves in Odisha, issued a pointed challenge to Church authorities: “If you’re going to insist that we wear habits everywhere, then be ready to defend us when we’re attacked on the streets.”
Her remarks follow a disturbing incident in her state Odhisha which occurred at Khordha Road Railway Station on the night of May 31, when Sister Rachana Nayak of the Holy Family Congregation was detained for nearly 18 hours along with four girls and her younger brother. The group was forcibly removed from the Rourkela Rajarani Express by Bajrang Dal activists, who falsely accused them of trafficking and religious conversion. Despite the girls affirming their Catholic faith and voluntary travel, the group was held until human rights lawyers intervened and officials confirmed the allegations were baseless.
Speaking to Matters India, Sr. Jena noted that all three major attacks on nuns in less than three months this year involved Sisters wearing habits. “To those who insist on habits during travel—and to congregations unwilling to reflect or adapt—I say: be prepared to defend these Sisters when they’re attacked,” she asserted.
