Kerala church hit by another former nun's tell-all book

[email protected] (Hindustan Times)
April 30, 2012

nunrape

Thiruvananthapuram, April 30: Two years after “Amen” — the tell-all autobiography of Sister Jesme — threw light on the sexual exploitation of nuns, the powerful Catholic church of Kerala is facing a fresh round of attack from another former nun.

Sister Mary Chandy, 67, who left the church after 40 years of service, is set to release her biographical sketch 'Nanma Niranajavare Swasthi' in the first week of May.

Sister Chandy says she was forced to quit 12 years ago after she resisted a rape attempt by a priest.

“My book is an expression of the sufferings I had passed through as a nun, and the debauchery I witnessed in the convents,” she said. “Most are inclined to lust than spirituality.”

In her book, she describes how she ran away from home at the age of 13 to join the church and how her reward had been four decades of exploitation and abandonment.

Most often, priests and nuns fail to keep their vows of chastity, she said. Those who refuse to succumb are viciously targeted.

After Sister Chandy left the Congregation of Daughter of Presentation of Mary, many wrote her off, but today she successfully runs an orphanage in north Kerala's Wayanad district.

“Service is in my blood. I don't need an address or a stamp to prove my resolve,” she said.

Jose Pazhukaran, a Malayalam writer, has helped Sister Chandy to put together her memoirs.

Bookshop owners are already flooded with inquiries.

Most have given bulk orders after word spread that the book will be more revealing than Sister Jesme's 2009 autobiography, which was a graphic documentation of the sexual harassment and repression she had to face.

Jesme's autobiography included a poignant version by her of how the convent authorities tried to twice prove that she had mental problems and get her admitted into a rehab centre after she reportedly spoke out against the malpractices within the Order.


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News Network
July 21,2020

Bengaluru, Jul 21: A man was arrested on Tuesday for riding his high-end bike up to a speed of almost 300 km per hour on a flyover here during ongoing lockdown, police said. After a selfie video of the man's reckless ride went viral on social media, police arrested him for putting his life and that of others at risk and seized his 1000 CC bike.

Identified by police as Muniyappa, he rode his bike on the nearly 10-km long Electronic City flyover, accelerating almost to 300 KMPH as he whizzed past some vehicles, including cars autorickshaws and trucks that were moving in both directions.

"This video made viral by the rider...going at a dangerous speed of almost 300 kmph at Ecity flyover putting his own & others life at risk..CCB traced the rider & seized bike Yamaha 1000 CC.. handed over to traffic (police)," Bengaluru Joint Commissioner of Police Sandeep Patil tweeted, tagging the video.

A case of reckless driving has been registered against him, police said. They said the incident occurred during the week-long lockdown in force in the city and outskirts till Wednesday morning to contain the spread of coronavirus, leaving most roads deserted as people remained indoors. However, it was not known when exactly he undertook the ride. A fortnight ago, three youths who were doing wheelies on the city roads met with a ghastly mishap and lost their lives.

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News Network
April 29,2020

Newsroom, Apr 29: Abdul Rahman Al Sudais, the imam of the Grand Mosque in Makkah has hinted that Muslims will be allowed to perform prayers again at the holiest mosque after a few days. 

Al Sudais, who is also the president of the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques, predicted this while answering a question from a reporter about the possibility of having worshippers gather again at the mosque.

He said that soon people will be allowed to return to the mosque for prayers and for circumambulation around the holy Kaaba.

The authorities care about people more than anything else, he said. "All Muslims should pray to Allah to help us through this pandemic. People must be careful and take necessary precautions to protect themselves and others," he added.

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News Network
March 25,2020

Bengaluru, Mar 25: The COVID-19 count in Karnataka went up by 10 on Wednesday, reaching 51. The 10 new positives included two girls aged seven and nine who contracted the infection from their father.

The 34-year-old man had returned from Amsterdam on March 19 and tested positive as the 17th confirmed case in Karnataka.

Though his family were kept in isolation and under quarantine in their house, the children developed a cold. They were confirmed for COVID-19 infection while their mother is still negative.

The government remained tightlipped over whether or not a 70-year-old woman from Gouribidanuru who was put under house quarantine and died on Wednesday morning, tested positive for COVID-19. Government officials would neither confirm nor deny anything on the results of tests on the woman.

This evening’s bulletin issued by the Karnataka health department continued to indicate the strong correlation of coronavirus infection and foreign travel.

Among the positive cases identified today were

A 63-year-old Bengaluru man and his 59-year-old wife, with a history of travel to Brazil and Argentina.
Two 26-year-old men with a history of travel to Spain and arrived back in Bengaluru via Dubai.
Two others, a 63-year-old woman and her 69-year-old husband, had a history of travel to Athens and London.
A 34-year-old man, a resident of Udupi, who returned from Dubai
A 37-year old woman, a resident of Chitradurga, with a history of travel to Guyana and arrived back in Bengaluru via Delhi
Speaking to the media, medical education minister K Sudhakar said health officials were apprehensive the positives may go up tonight.

Of the corona positive cases detected in Karnataka so far, three have been discharged after quarantine, and 47 patients are in isolation at designated hospitals in a stable condition. There has been one fatality.

As per a recommendation by the high-level health committee, the government has decided to convert the Bowring Hospital into a coronavirus treatment hospital facility along with the Rajiv Gandhi Hospital for Chest Diseases and Victoria Hospital. 

“The number of positive cases are growing at an alarming rate and the government needs more treatment facilities. The government is for burning of COVID-19 death cases. However, due to some religious practices, it has been decided they would be buried in 8 ft deep pits,'' Dr Sudhakar said.

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