Nirmala Carvalho

Conversions made by force or under coercion for material gain forbidden. Penalty up to three years in jail and 50,000 fine rupees; Bigger penalties if you try to convert young girls or tribal women. Over the past 10 years, in Jharkhand, the Hindu population has grown by 21%; Christians by 29.7%, Muslims by 28.4%. For Hindu nationalists, there are "forces that trying to destroy society which has indulged conversions for too long." Pro-tribal party critical. Sobering Muslim response. Card. Toppo: We are free people. No one can force another to convert.

The UAC holds its annual meeting in Punjab. In addition to supporting the ministry, the association helps clergymen "support one another in times of difficulties, [which] may be 'burnout', may be loneliness, may be personal crisis etc.”

Some 83 young people represent India at the 7th Asian Youth Day (AYD7), which opened yesterday until 6 August in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The Indian delegation shows a multicultural, multi-religious and pluralistic face and is an example of peaceful coexistence between religions and cultures.

Mgr Fernandes spoke at the annual meeting of the National Council of Dalit Christians. The constitutional order of 1950 excludes Dalit Christians and Muslims from employment and education quotas. An India-wide protest has been set for 7 December.

Last night the Caranzalem cemetery was defiled. At least 12 Crosses destroyed near the Chapel of Our Lady of Fatima. The burial site was intact when the Catholic Francis Pereira was arrested. Sajan K George: "Christians are easy targets."

The old school collapsed in the April 2015 earthquake. The new Jal Kalyan Vidyalay School was inaugurated on 21 July. It caters to secondary and high school students. Almost US$ 70,000 were spent on building four classrooms as well as a library and a lab.

Rev Sultan Masih was the pastor of the Temple of God Church. He was gunned down whilst talking on his mobile. For the bishop of Jalandhar, "This attack against Christians has deeply wounded the whole community". The victim's family blocks motorway. A “lynching culture” prevails across the country, says Sajan K George.

The trademark was registered on the day the Mother of the Poor was canonised after application was made in 2013. The sari is a symbol of peace and charity all over the world. "The Cross worn on the left shoulder symbolises that for the Missionaries of Charity Jesus on the Cross is the key to the heart."

Judges welcome the request of a 33-year-old due to "psychological harm". The baby, if born, would have serious cardiac complications. Auxiliary Bishop of Mumbai: "God is the author of life." "If people are no longer useful or considered as a weight, they try to eliminate them."

The Divine Word Missionary was a well-known theologian and missiologist. He taught at major seminaries in India. As an academic researcher, he realized that the traditional concept of Christian mission is no longer relevant in Asia. From provincial superior, he opened a Mumbai center for migrant and domestic workers. The commitment to tribal and dalit has led to a change in the Hindu mentality of those who knew him.

The US president has pledged to eradicate Islamic extremism. India is the largest democracy in the world, but for Sajan K George, “not everyone is the same. Minorities, Tribals and Dalits do not enjoy the same equality as the majority."

Outlawed fundamentalist groups have the support of political and religious leaders, and are not punished for violence against minorities. The economy excludes the most vulnerable groups in society. “Vegetarian terrorism" is unleashed against killing cattle. For Hindu activists, violence against cows is criminal, but violence against human beings is simply punishment. The fear of conversion marks every Christian with suspicion. For one witness, “The better the person, the greater the danger”. Hindutva followers have historicised mythology. "By taking mythologies as histories they are humiliating the sense of history of their own people.” However, the prelate has confidence in Indian society. “All we have to do is create situations where interactions are possible; where everyone has an opportunity to explain himself."