On the 19th of January 2022, Lavanya, a 12th standard girl breathed her last after battling the consequences of her suicide attempt. Student of Sacred Heart Higher Secondary School, Lavanya had ingested pesticides after being tortured and pressurised to convert to Christianity by the school.
her dying declaration, originally in Tamil said, “My name is Lavanya. They (school) had asked my parents in my presence if they can convert me to Christianity and help her for further studies. Since I didn’t accept, they kept scolding me.” She also named one Rachael Mary who had allegedly tortured her.
Lavanya had been living at the St. Michael’s Girls Hostel near her school for the past five years, and the govt-aided Christian missionary school had been pressuring her to convert to Christianity. However, Lavanya was adamant about not leaving her religion and refused to get converted. Angered by Lavanya’s resistance, the school administration cancelled her leave application for Pongal Celebrations. Lavanya who was supposed to visit home during her holidays was forced to do chores like cleaning toilets of the school, cooking and washing dishes. It is reported that dejected Lavanya consumed pesticides used in the school garden to end her life.
It has been days since the news of the 17-year-old committing suicide surfaced. The media, on its part, has maintained a stoic silence. In fact, the Times of India went a step ahead and tried to secularise the incident. In their initial report, they wrote that Lavanya had ended her life because she was forced to “clean rooms”. Times of India failed to mention in their headline that Lavanya was forced to clean toilets, not for the act itself, but because she refused to convert to Christianity. Not just the headline, Times of India refused to mention that the girl committed suicide because she was being forced to commit suicide.
While the media looked away, the Tamil Nadu administration started harassing the individual who recorded the dying declaration.
During the hearing, the girl’s father S Muruganantham informed the court that the cops were trying to implicate the man, who had recorded the dying declaration of the class 12 student, for revealing the identity of the minor girl. He also demanded a CB-CID investigation into the death of his daughter.
S Muruganantham pointed out that the Thanjavur police was trying to protect the perpetrators who had tortured his daughter to convert to Christianity. In his petition, he highlighted how the minor girl was made to clean toilets, utensils and cook food by hostel warden Sagayamary for refusing to give in to their demands.
The Madras High Court passed an interim order restraining the police from harassing the man. The court directed the cops to ‘conduct themselves appropriately’ after the girl’s father approached had submitted before it.
The incident should have sparked massive outrage over the methods adopted by missionary schools operating in Tamil Nadu. It should have triggered a reckoning among the society, drawing people on the streets and demanding the state government to bring necessary laws to put an end to conversions in missionary schools. However, there was deafening silence amongst those who claim to care about the rights of women and children.
Several Hindu organisations and individuals have, however, have come out demanding for accountability and action against Sacred Heart Higher Secondary School.
Prabal Pratap Singh Judev, the head of All India Ghar Wapsi Abhiyan, has come out vociferously demanding action against the perpetrators.
Chhattisgarh BJP secretary Prabal Pratap said, “The suicide of daughter Lavanya in Tamil Nadu has left him stunned. Lavanya has taken a step like suicide due to harassment by Christian missionaries. I have no hesitation in saying that Christian missionaries bargain for service and use all kinds of tricks to convert. Opposing it is the only remedy.”
Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad activists have also demanded strict action against the missionary school for torturing and claiming the life of a young girl. They have appealed to the governor of Tamil Nadu to ensure justice in Lavanya’s case. In the memorandum sent to the governor of Tamil Nadu, ABVP has said that the entire nation is shocked by the unfortunate incident where Lavanya had to commit suicide because she was being tortured to convert to Christianity. The memorandum further said that the Tamil Nadu police was actively shielding the perpetrators and was not working to bring closure to the case.
Forced Conversion through Missionary Backed Schools stands now exposed by the suicide of an innocent student Lavanya. Missionary backed Schools are fuelling forced Conversion which is completely non-acceptable.#BanForcefulConversion#JusticeForLavanya pic.twitter.com/9g8rYe4f47
— ABVP (@ABVPVoice) January 22, 2022
Calls for justice grows, #JusticeForLavanya and #NationWithLavanya becomes a call to action
With the shock over the case of Lavanya spreading, the high-handedness of the Tamil Nadu police in dealing with the individual who recorded the dying declaration of Lavanya coupled with their refusal to act against the missionary school has several individuals up in arms.
Actress Pranitha Subhash took to Twitter to demand action in the case. She said it was unfortunate that religious dogma was being imposed on unsuspecting youngsters.
I hope justice is delivered soon, and that the real motivations are made public by the TN Police in #JusticeForLavanya case. It’s heart-wrenching to see religious dogmas being imposed on young, unassuming children. #NationWithLavanya
— Pranitha Subhash (@pranitasubhash) January 25, 2022
Activist Anshul Saxena took to the streets demanding justice for Lavanya.
Justice for Lavanya.
— Anshul Saxena (@AskAnshul) January 25, 2022
Voice for her Justice should spread across nation. pic.twitter.com/LG3NKnlvq9
Vinoj P Selvam, President of BJYM Tamil Nadu launched an agitation in Tamil Nadu today, going on a fast to demand justice for Lavanya. Taking to Twitter, Selvam said this was not like the one day fast that DMK was used to and if justice was not delivered, the protest would spread to the entire state.
This is not the one hour fasting drama @arivalayam is used to. It’s the start of a one day fast which will spread across the state if #JusticeforLavanya is not delivered. Shri @annamalai_k leads protest at Chennai. Thousands of BJP workers have gathered. pic.twitter.com/aoStp1b4ez
— Vinoj P Selvam (@VinojBJP) January 25, 2022
In Valluvar Kottam, the protests have been growing against the school and the TN administration.
In Valluvar Kottam right now 🔥🔥🔥#JusticeForLavanya #NationWithLavnya pic.twitter.com/QPnkAZQk4l
— இந்தா வாயின்கோ – Take That (@indhavaainko) January 25, 2022
Jai Shri Ram Sene Sangathan took to the streets to hold placards demanding for justice.
Come out and Speak #JusticeForLavanya #NationWithLavanya @JsrsMumbai pic.twitter.com/Dht4lD0IYo
— JAI SHRI RAM SENA SANGHTHAN (@JAISHRIRAMSENA) January 25, 2022
Bajrang Dal too staged protests.
. @vhpdtn Protest and Fasting in Ariyalaur, Tamil Nadu to seek justice to Hindu Girl Student attempting Suicide after she was pressured to convert to Christian.
— Bajrang Dal (@BajrangdalOrg) January 20, 2022
#JusticeForLavanya pic.twitter.com/ic7by1gnOp
While BJP and ABVP have launched massive protests in Tamil Nadu, several Netizens have taken to Twitter to express their anguish in their case.
It may be noted that only on the 21st of January, the Tamil Nadu police had agreed to register the girl’s dying declaration in the case, where she alleged that the govt-aided Christian missionary school she went to had been pressuring her to convert to Christianity, and base the probe on it.
Prior to this, the initial FIR filed by the TN police had simply mentioned that the student was residing at the hostel and that on January 9, the warden reportedly compelled her to undertake household tasks. She apparently attempted suicide because she couldn’t stand the brutality any longer.
Speaking about this development, Thanjavur Superintendent of Police Ravali Priya Gandhapuneni had said that the girl’s parents’ initial statement was bereft of the conversion angle. She added that a new petition has been filed, in which the angle will be investigated as well.
