Nun appointed as member in Rajasthan's Minority Commission

In a first in the state, a nun has been nominated as a member of the State Minority Commission in Rajasthan.

Sister Mariola Sequeira belongs to the order of the Mission Sisters of Ajmer (MSA) and teaches at Ajmer's prestigious Sophia College.

The activist nun has been a member of the People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), Rajasthan and has also been the State coordinator of the Prison Ministry India (PMI) since 2004.

CNN-IBN in 2010 chose Sister Mariola for the "Real Heroes Award" for her work in rehabilitating women prisoners.

Her advocacy and campaign for six years had resulted in the release of a mentally-ill prisoner from Central Jail on January 25 last year, after 18 years of imprisonment.

"The activist friends are very happy about the appointment as are my superiors in the Church and the convent. The first to ring me up and congratulate were social activists Aruna Roy and Kavita Srivastava," Sr Mariola was quoted by The Hindu, as saying.

"Church people tell me that I am the first Christian to be a member of the Minorities Commission in Rajasthan. My Mother Superior, who is away in Mumbai now, was very happy when I informed her about the nomination," she said.

The members of the State Minority Commission besides Sr Mariola include advocate Zuban Khan, Sardar Manindar Singh Bagga and Gurwant Rahul Chawda. Former MLA Mohammed Mahir Azad will be the chairman.

The State Minority Commission monitors and protects the rights and interest of minorities in the state. It also makes recommendations with a view to ensure effective implementation and enforcement of various safeguards provided in the Constitution.