Day 4 - Sister Valsa John, India
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| Acrylic on paper by Liz Peterson, study for canvas painting |
Helping the poor and disadvantaged was the lifelong work of Sister Valsa John of India. According to a friend, she chose to become a nun after being inspired by the stories of charitable missionaries. She worked initially as a teacher, then as a social activist among various tribes in the state of Jharkhand. She educated and motivated the tribal residents to become active in political decision, and was particularly dedicated to empowering women to participate in forums in which they were typically excluded.
When she discovered that a group of mining companies were attempting to displace the Santal residents of Jharkhand, she began to mobilize them to resist their advances through political action and peaceful resistance. Though they were unsuccessful in preventing the mining companies from taking over the land, her efforts did lead to the creation of a contract between the tribes and the companies involved (conglomerate named PANEM). When she began to protest new encroachments in on the Santal land by PANEM, she reported receiving intimidation and death threats.
On November 17, 2011, a group of over 30 Santal tribesmen broke into her home and brutally murdered her. Though several of her killers confessed to the crime, most locals who knew her and the situation believe the men who killed her were either misled about her intentions or paid by members of PANEM.
In a tribute to her life, Sister Valsa's friend Ivy Imogene Hansdak said "only her body has been interred. Her spirit will live forever in the hearts of the poor and the oppressed. It will live in the hearts of all the people of goodwill."
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