Nirmala Carvalho

The Archbishop of Bangalore Bernard Moras, criticises the Somasekhara report, commissioned by the Government of Karnataka and entrusted to a single person. Christians demand that the Central Bureau of Investigation carry out a probe into the violence of two years ago, still unresolved. All churches are organizing marches and protests.

Samdhong Rinpoche, prime minister of Tibetan government in exile, calls on Tibetans not to fall into the trap of the recent Chinese slander against the Dalai Lama, but to continue to assert their identity in a non-violent way. The Jasmine revolt: China is ready to crush any protests with violence.

Fr Babu Joseph, spokesman of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI), calls it a “stimulus budget”. Steps taken in favour of education, health care and rural development are praised.

The books of the Old and New Testaments, along with eight volumes of apocrypha, were officially presented at Guntur, in Andhra Pradesh. The initiative is a collaborative effort between the Diocese of Jammu-Srinagar and the Bible Society of India.

The attack, preceded by threatening phone calls, took place Feb. 19. The damage amounted to 60 million rupees. The Bishop of Jammu-Srinagar: "The political unease has added to unresolved issues and tensions grow. In this tense political landscape, we Christians are the victims. "

Tens of thousands of Christians hold an interfaith gathering, followed by a prayer vigil to protest against a distorted report on targeted attacks on churches in 2008. Archbishop Moras "The BJP government has the dubious honour of being a witness to an attack on churches or Christians every three days."

The Diocese of Amritsar has supported the initiative of the Christian Front Punjab. A Memorandum was submitted to the government in Islamabad to abolish the blasphemy law. Bishop Samantaroy: "The law is methodically used to resolve personal questions."

The report of the Committee of Justice Somasekhar exonerates two radical Hindu movements for attacks in 2008 on 56 churches, against all evidence. The President of the Global Council of Indian Christians: "A bundle of lies, intended to confuse and misinform the people." A counter-report submitted today to the Governor and the Chief Minister of Karnataka.

The pastor of Cuttack Bhubaneshwar, Msgr. John Barwa is the uncle of Meena Barwa, the nun who was raped during the anti-Christian violence in Kandhamal in 2008. The sister has promised him: "All my suffering, my pain and my humiliation, I offer for you, for your mission as archbishop."

A major Hindu rally ends, that drew nearly two million people to the banks of Narmada river. Continuous attacks against Christians, some sadhus, however, have criticized this verbal violence. The testimony of Father George Thomas, and exploitation of tribals by the government.

The official representative of Pope Benedict XVI, Archbishop Emeritus of Westminster, spoke to young people, as did Pope John Paul II in 1986. The celebration was also attended by Card. Oswald Gracias, archbishop of Mumbai, and Mgr. Salvatore Pennacchio, apostolic nuncio to India.

Many posters denigrate Christianity, Pope and the work of Mother Teresa at the big gathering in Madhya Pradesh. Many fear the impact of extremist propaganda on Christians once the kumbh is over.