Mangalore: Stella Maris Orphanage Issues Clarification - Allays Conversion Allegations
Pics: Dayanand Kukkaje
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (PS/SB)
Mangalore, April 12: At a press conference attended by Lynette AC, provincial superior, Apostolic Carmel, Karnataka Province, St Ann’s Convent, Mangalore, P F Martha, headmistress, Stella Maris, Sr Agatha Mary, superior general, corporators Mariamma Thomas and Naveen D’Souza, Denis D’Silva, state convenor of IFKCA, the pain caused by the recent allegations by Bajarang Dal on Christian institutions was put forth by the management of Stella Maris orphanage before the media here on Tuesday April 12.
Occasioned by unwarranted and shocking disruption of the homeward journey of the 41 children from Stella Maris Orphanage, Kotekar to Bidar on April 8, they said that allegations on their institution are purely wrong and loss has been suffered by them. They also said that a case has been filed in both Kadri and Ullal police station.
Lynette AC, provincial superior, Apostolic Carmel, Karnataka Province said that Stella Maris Orphanage is managed by the sisters of the Apostolic Carmel Congregation and the 41 children are the inmates of Stella Maris Orphanage, Kotekar hail from Bidar district. They are also the students of Stella Maris primary school managed by the sisters.
These children were getting ready with great excitement to return to their homes for vacation. Their tickets were bought paying Rs 25, 000 and they were to leave by VRL bus for Bidar on April 8 at 2.30 pm. The warden brought them to PVS circle at 1.00 pm much ahead of time and they were looking forward to board the bus. Just then the miscreants barged in, asking some inquisitive questions with threatening words to which the children gave no answer as they were shocked beyond words. When the bus arrived, the children got into the bus, some people claiming to be Bajrang Dal members too got into the bus with cameras and more threats blocking the exit. The warden Sr Asha Prima informed her superior and in response a senior sister Sr Maria Jyothi rushed to the spot. Meanwhile the Bajrang Dal group called the police who arrived immediately. The bus with the children and all the rest on board were taken to CWC, at Bondel.
At CWC Sr Maria Jyothi informed the officials that the children were the bonafide students of the orphanage at Stella Maris, Kotekar and produced the required documents and license to substantiate her claim, which she produced within few minutes. The police surrounded the CWC as they would the criminals brought to the Remand Home. The children were not given food and were restless, and highly traumatized by this experience.
The officials of CWC checked the documents and found them in order. In the meantime the Assistant Commissioner of DK, Prabhulinga Kavalikatte arrived on the scene and asked for a proof to show that these children are bonafide students and came from Bidar to study, by submitting a certificate issued by the deputy commissioner of Bidar. Since it was not possible to produce this immediately, the sisters offered to show proofs of their origin from schools records. The bus with children was then taken back to Kotekar. When the children reached the orphanage it was 10.15 pm, all tired, shocked, hungry and disappointed.
The next day, Saturday the April 9 at 5.30 pm, the chairperson of the CWC visited the orphanage with her committee and going through the registers and other school records was satisfied. Thereafter she issued an order that the children could be sent home. The institution suffered a financial loss of Rs 25,000 and had to once again purchase tickets for the children to be taken to Bidar.
The atrocious incident took place making the children and management of the orphanage undergo trauma, tension and giving adverse publicity due to the evil designs of the Bajrang Dal members.
Mariamma Thomas said that they will demand for reimbursement of the said Rs 25,000 from the concerned. DC Subodh Yadav, AC Prabhulinga Kavalikatte and Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh assured us the immediate action on the same after submitting our complaints, she added.
The Apostolic Carmel
The Apostolic Carmel Congregation was started in Mangalore in 1870 with the objective of empowering women through education. At a time when there were no educational opportunities for women’s education in the west coast of India, the sisters of the Apostolic Carmel ventured into this field. Over 140 years, their educational institutions rendering education to children ranging from Primary to Post Graduate level irrespective of caste and creed, she added.
The condition of the underprivileged sections of the society in those days, urged them to cater to their needs and in response, they opened technical schools and special schools for the mentally and physically challenged children. One of the specific felt needs that was addressed by the sisters was the opening of four orphanages/residences in Kundapur, Stella Maris, Kotekar, Kemmannu and Bondel in the years 1931, 33, 38 and 39 respectively. Over the years, more than 15,000 children have benefited from their stay and study in these orphanages. All the four orphanages were recognized by the BCM (Backward community and minority) department between the years 1935 and 1948. At present, there are 275 children in these orphanages ranging from class 3 to 10. Around 200 of these receive a grant of Rs 350 per month from the department of BCM. The management subsidizes the rest of the expenses, she detailed.