By: Jessica Ties
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia
NEW DELHI, India – Rights activists are urging the Indian government to take steps to insure that activists in the country are safe after an activist, the fourth to be murdered this year, is killed by a mob.
Sister Valsa John was killed last week when a mob of villagers, incited by Maoist rebels, of approximately forty-five people broke into her home and beat her to death. Her body was recovered by officials last Wednesday.
Although authorities were initially unsure who was behind the murder their suspicions of Maoist involvement, following interviews with villagers and the discovery of Maoist pamphlets at the scene of the crime, proved correct on November 22 when Maoist rebels admitted that they were responsible for the killing.
John was involved in leading protests against the displacement of villagers caused by mining operations in the area that resulted in the forceful grabbing of land belonging to tribesmen.
According to rebel spokesperson, Somnath, John was killed because she had “let down the tribals” forcing them to “resort to the extreme step” of murdering her.
Some tribesmen were not satisfied with deals struck with mining organizations because they resulted in heavy loss of property and lives. This dissatisfaction prompted Somnath to assert the belief that John was “working for the interests” of mining companies.
There is also a report that John’s intention to accompany a rape victim to the police station to file a report incited the tribesmen, who wanted to pursue the matter out of court, to murder her.
Prior to the admission made by the Maoist rebels, the family of Valsa John believed that her murder was committed by a mafia-like coal organization that was irritated by John’s advocacy for the rights of tribesman against illegal coal mining.
Coal mining in India is largely owned, controlled and operated by these mafia-like organizations that mine illegally and sell the coal on the black market.
According to her family, Valsa John frequently received death threats from individuals believed to be members of a criminal gang profiting from illegal coal mining and had received such a threat just hours before her murder. Conflict with the mining organization has been ongoing for years and led to her imprisonment in 2007.
In the past, these coal organizations have been accused of attacking and killing officials or rights activists who have objected to the exploitation of tribesmen.
Other activists killed in India this year are Nadeem Sayed, Shehla Masood, and Niyamat Ansari.
For more information, please see:
BBC – Maoists Admit They Killed India Nun Valsa John – 22 November 2011
Independent Online – Suspected Nun Killers Held in India – 21 November 2011
The Times of India – Jharkhand Nun Murder Case Cracked: Police – 21 November 2011
Amnesty International – India: Nun Murdered in Fourth Activist Killing n 2011 – 17 November 2011
MSNBC – Nun slain in India Faced Threats from Mine Bosses – 17 November 2011
