SAMPLE LETTER
Dear Sr Corona Mary and Community of OSM.,
I have been following the news regarding the arrest of Sr Vanaseli – her remand, the police version, and now your letter of expulsion, your communication to the congregation suppressing the Srs freedom of speech in the name of your Constitution, your subsequent letters to all religious, clerics, and others claiming your righteousness and upholding your scandalous behaviour.
Granted that Sr Vanaselvi is guilty and the police and State authorities versions are correct could you not have waited for her to come out of jail – appoint a committee and give her a chance to defend herself before expelling her? Now what if she is innocent you have sinned against her and violated all norms of basic justice and decency. Shall we henceforth go by police versions when persons are accused or even when nuns are raped and the police deny such a thing? One is fully aware that police versions in 99.9 percent are untrue and a concoction of lies. You have not even cared to give Sr Vanaselvi the benefit of doubt – In case Vanaselvi has committed a crime why don’t you analyse the police version and sift through the whole thing and identify the great crime she is supposed to have committed. Please send out another communication giving all the details of her crime.
You have even gone to the extent of blaming her for removing her religious dress. I have taken nuns for excursion and during their trip they have not been in religious dresses but in all sorts of fancy dresses. You want to fault someone any stick that comes your way is handy to beat her with. Prisoners are always demanded to use the clothes provided by the prison authorities. Don’t you know what?
Did you train a person to be a criminal? Where were your insights and discernment during her training period and when she was as late as l999 appointed a headmistress? You mean to say that you found no reason for doubts and that one fine day as she was travelling in the bus she turned into a criminal? Have you ever in the past had any cause to warn her, at least reprimanded her? Did you make any attempt to weed out her criminal tendencies. I am saying this because no one becomes a criminal suddenly -that only the police can create such. If all these were not there then you stand faulted.
You have no right to quote the Yes of the Scriptures because you have misquoted it and misused it. The Yes in scriptures were for liberation and redemption not for condemnation and denial of rights. Apart from that, God did not have a super God to who He/She had to say Yes for the concretisation of redemption. He is and was and always will be. So from where did you get the revealation of God’s Yes. Mary did not say Yes without raising a query, How can this happen for I know not man. So it is only after questioning that the Yes followed. Christ too did not immediately say Yes, He pleaded and prayed to His Father Take away this cup from me. I cannot imagine how your Constitution could pick up the yeses out of context and implanted them in your Constitution to become tools for suppression. Now it has come handy for you to quote this to silence your Srs. If you have a clear mind then why not allow them to debate and discuss?
Please remember that Christ was also condemned as a criminal first by His own religious leaders. He was put to death by the joint collaboration of the civil authorities and the religious leaders – the High priests. I find an echo of this in your action. Sr Vanaselvi has a right to be defended though one cannot always expect justice from the courts we know that pretty well. She has to be supported by right thinking persons and those who believe in upholding the truth. Even now it is not too late for you to undo your wrong. She has to be compensated, rehabilitated towards which all support must be extended. What is this image of your congregation you have in mind? You cannot hold a brief for the Church of which persons like Sr Vanaselvi is very much part of. Or are you thinking of that kind of a religion which condemned and crucified Christ. Are shadows more important that real persons? It is to sinners that Christ turned to and He never discarded one. On the other hand he was abandoned by his own and those who were supposed to be his disciples. You have done that – thereby you have betrayed the same Christ whom you think you are following. You have even gone to the extent of justifying your action. I can only feel sorry for you and pray that the Good Lord in His mercy give you some enlightenment. Those who follow Christ will be proud of Vanaselvi no matter whether she is a criminal or not. She depicts Christ abandoned, denied human rights, and persecuted. I hope that Sr Vanaselvi will forgive you for this great injustice you have wrought on her. You have also denigrated that Church based on Christ and all that He stood for.
Yours sincerely,
Dr Hilda Raja, 26Ramanathan St., Mahalingapuram, Chennai-600 034
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APPEAL LETTER #2
Sr. Corona Mary, O.S.M.,
Servite Generalate,
41, 42, Tank Bund Road, Nungambakkam,
Chennai 600 034, INDIA
Tel: +91 44-8203840 (Res); +91 44-8203819 (Off)
Fax: +91 44-8203830
E.Mail: serviteg@yahoo.co.uk
RE: THE CASE OF SR VANASELVI osm
We have just heard about the treatment meted out to Sr. Vanaselvi and are truly shocked at this inhuman violation of human rights. Instead of protecting a member of your order engaged in meritorious social service you have victimised her with these orders:
‘No one should go and meet her in jail; Don’t have letter correspondence with her; No community or institution should allow her to enter after her release from jail; Don’t comment on the incident or its background to anyone.’
We urge you to immediately review this entire case, in a spirit of humility and reconciliation, and repudiate all your orders against Sr. Vanaselvi.
Yours sincerely
A. K. Roy
for
Hazards Centre
66A/2, Mohinder Kunj,
Laxmi Market, Munirka,
New Delhi-110067
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APPEAL LETTER #3
14 February 2002
Sr. Corona Mary, O.S.M.,
Servite Generalate,
41, 42, Tank Bund Road, Nungambakkam,
Chennai 600 034, INDIA
Tel: +91 44-8203840 (Res); +91 44-8203819 (Off)
Fax: +91 44-8203830
E.Mail: serviteg@yahoo.co.uk
RE: THE CASE OF SR VANASELVI osm
This case has come to my attention through the good work of People’s Watch, a respected human rights organization in Tamil Nadu. I have read the details about this Sister Vanaselvi’s case, including the two letters written by you, to the Sister concerned while she was in detention, and another to the members of your congregation.
While I am not there and do not have first hand experience of what took place, it seems to me that there is a great deal of evidence to support the Sister’s innocence of the allegations against her. Based on this I would urge you to investigate the matter further before so summarily dismissing her from your congregation. As a Christian working in the name of God your treatment of your colleague’s situation seems particularly harsh. You deny her any support without even hearing what she has to say.
Again, I would urge you, Sister, to show some charity and humane leadership in this matter and to raise your voice against a grave miscarriage of justice.
Yours sincerely,
Yasmin Karim
Mailing Address:
50 Monarch Park Avenue
Toronto, Ontario
Canada M4J 4P8
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