The sentencing of 16 people for killing a Catholic nun four years ago is being viewed as a deterrent against attacking missionaries in tribal-dominated Jharkhand state in eastern India.
"The verdict will be a deterrent against people taking the law into their own hands and attacking those working for the uplift of the downtrodden," Bishop Julius Marandi of Dumka told ucanews.com.
The 16 were sentenced to life imprisonment by a district court Oct. 16 for the murder of Sister Valsa John on Nov. 15, 2011.
The nun who belonged to the Sisters of Charity of Jesus and Mary congregation worked for the Santal indigenous people in the state's Dumka Diocese and fought against the exploitation of a mining company. She was killed after a mob brutally attacked her at night with axes, sticks and knives.
The nun "was doing a very special ministry in the region among the poor miners that yielded a very positive result," the bishop said.
Sister Valsa had formed a voluntary organization and organized local indigenous people to demand compensation from Panem Coal Ltd, a mining company operating in the area.
She helped indigenous people enter into a compensation package, which according to police infuriated Maoists who organized people to kill her.
Bishop Marandi pointed out that the nun worked independently of the diocese and her congregation and that "there isn't anyone to continue her legacy."
Auxiliary Bishop Theodore Mascarenhas of Ranchi in Jharkhand also lauded the court sentence. "It will be an eye-opener to those who indulge in violence to suppress the voice of the poor."
Sister Valsa's "unrelenting dedication to the poor and tribal people" has helped many and she "will be remembered by those who benefited from her work and also by the church for her dedication and love for the downtrodden," he said.
"Her blood will not go to waste. The church always grows on the blood of its martyrs," Bishop Mascarenhas told ucanews.com.
The attacks will not "dampen the spirit of missionaries working in the state. On the contrary, it will strengthen them," Bishop Mascarenhas said.
He said the church "does not have any grudge or vengeance against the murderers (and) still pray for them," he said.
Jharkhand, with a population of 33 million people, is home to a vibrant, mostly tribal Christian community. The state's 4.5 percent Christian population is almost double that of the national average.
Christian leaders have reported several cases of attacks against Christians after pro-Hindu groups gained political importance in the country.
