An independent MLA from Poonjar, Kerala, PC George has referred to the nun who accused the Jalandhar based Bishop Franco Mulakkal of raping her 13 times as a ‘prostitute’ and even went on to raise questions on her character. His comments which came during a media interview on Saturday are derogatory and infuriating to say the least, George said, “Is there any doubt that the nun is a prostitute? Twelve times it was pleasure, 13th time it became a rape? Where was she when it happened 12 times? Whom is she telling this to? Why did she not complain on the first time it happened?… Let the three sisters be examined. Let us see if they are holy,” The National Commission for Women (NCW) has reacted strongly to the statements issued by the Independent MLA for his insensitive remarks made against the alleged victim.
NCW chief Rekha Sharma has demanded strict action against the MLA and was quoted saying, “I am ashamed of such lawmakers who are giving these statements instead of helping women. NCW has already taken up the matter & we will write to DGP demanding strict action against him,” by the ANI. Nuns from Kerala too have joined the victim and have demanded that the accused Bishop be meted out with the punishment he deserves after a thorough inquiry into the matter. A total of five nuns took part in a public protest in Kochi to demand the immediate arrest of the Bishop. The statement by the Independent MLA from Kerala is a shameful one, especially since it has come at a time when members of the churches are being increasingly accused of crimes against women and children, and members of missionary organisations have been found guilty of indulging and profiteering from child trafficking.
A nun who took part in the protest at Kochi went on to allege that the Bishop is relying on the church and his personal contacts to save himself from the allegations levied by the nun. Sister Anupama said, “We have been knocking on the doors of the church and the government. There is nobody to help us in our cause,’’ she went on to add, “The bishop has political clout in Kerala as well as Punjab. He is using money to influence everyone.” The nuns who were taking part in the protest along with Sister Anupama held placards such as “who is protesting Franco”, “we need justice”, “our life is in danger” which shows how influential Bishop Franco Mulakkal and the lobby which is trying to save him is.
It is therefore surprising that the MLA has chosen to side with the accused Bishop rather than standing with the nun who is the victim in this case. His comments are not just against the nun from the church, but the whole women community as a whole, if this mentality continues to exist then every rape victim will have to first give proof that she is not a ‘prostitute’. Had such a comment, or something even remotely along those lines would have been spoken by a BJP leader the media and social media platforms would have gone berserk till now and a character assassination would have taken place. MLA PC George seems to be getting away after making a derogatory comment only because he hails from the Kerala Christian community which is the pinnacle of ‘liberal’ and ‘secular’ communities, as defined by the left dominated mainstream media houses in India. Shameful comments coming from a lawmaker, citizens of Kerala should sit up and take notice whom they elect in the future.