[Letter to Mr R N Singh Deo]

Summary

In this letter dated 6 November 1968, Minoo Masani appeals to Mr. R. N. Singh Deo, Chief Minister of Orissa, on behalf of Sister Ursula Eichstedt, a young German worker associated with the German Volunteer Service. Masani reports that police harassment and alleged misuse of the Orissa Freedom of Religion Act had forced Eichstedt to move to Delhi before completing her service in Orissa.

Masani asks Singh Deo to facilitate Eichstedt’s return to Orissa so that she can complete and submit her final report on the Leprosy Control Project. He emphasizes both the practical importance of the report and Eichstedt’s twelve years of dedicated service to the tribal population, including broader health and social work. The letter is a direct appeal for administrative intervention concerning religious-freedom protections, police conduct, and public-health work.

Key points

• Masani writes to the Chief Minister of Orissa on 6 November 1968.
• The letter concerns Sister Ursula Eichstedt, a young German worker with the German Volunteer Service.
• Masani alleges that police harassment and misuse of the Orissa Freedom of Religion Act forced Eichstedt to leave Orissa for Delhi.
• Eichstedt was preparing a final report on the Leprosy Control Project for handover to the Government of Orissa.
• Masani asks the Chief Minister to enable Eichstedt to return and complete her report.
• The letter highlights Eichstedt’s twelve years of service to tribal communities in Orissa, including health and social work.