Christians in the eastern Indian state of Odisha are facing renewed threats to their right to religious identity and freedom of movement, following a disturbing incident involving a nun and four young women.
On June 1, 2025, Sister Rachana Nayak, a junior nun from the Congregation of the Holy Family (CHF), was accompanying four female candidates from Khorda to Jharsuguda in Odisha, en route to Delhi. However, at Khorda Road Station in Jatni, they were intercepted by members of the Bajrang Dal, a Hindu nationalist group, who falsely accused them of attempting religious conversion.
The group was detained overnight by the Government Railway Police Force (GRPF), a division of the Railway Protection Force (RPF), under India’s Ministry of Railways, while investigations were initiated.
Bajrang Dal members claimed the women were being trafficked under the guise of educational opportunities. A member asserted, "False promises of education traffic some young women." Our team saw them crying at Berhampur station. After receiving information, we found them in coaches S-4 and S-5 of the Raja Rani Express. This phenomenon is linked to religious conversion through allurements like money and wealth. Why are only young women taken, not boys? They are taught English and sent abroad. Odisha has sufficient educational institutions, such as Adarsha Vidyalayas, Navodaya Vidyalayas, and Smart Schools.”
Catholic leaders have strongly denounced the incident, calling it a serious violation of human rights.
“Unfortunately, the candidates and the nun are being harassed in a free India and falsely accused of religious conversion,” said Fr. Pradeep Kumar Behera of the Archdiocese of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar.
Aruna Jose, Provincial Superior of CHF, Delhi, expressed gratitude to those who acted swiftly to defend the group.
“I thank advocates Clara D’Souza, Sujata Jena, and Sevanti Soreng, who personally visited the GRPF station and worked tirelessly to secure the well-being of the detained women,” she said.
“It was consoling to receive moral support from activists and priests of the archdiocese,” she added. “Sister Rachana and the young girls showed remarkable faith and courage during their illegal detention by religious extremists.”
The Catholic religious institute for women, the Congregation of the Holy Family, was founded in 1914 by Saint Mariam Thresia and co-founder Venerable Fr. Joseph Vithayathil. With its charism rooted in family apostolate and the education of women, the congregation promotes Christian values in family life. It is headquartered in Thrissur, Kerala, and has 11 provinces across India.
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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