Nirmala Carvalho

Tibetans are celebrating the birthday according to Buddhist tradition, praying for his "safety" and wishing him "long life." A minister of the Tibetan government in exile denounces the "violation of religious freedom" by the Beijing authorities. A question that concerns "the entire international community."

He is the first Buddhist leader to be tried on charges stemming from the March 2008 protests. Accusations against him are false, extorted under torture, says human rights groups.

Archbishop Chinnappa denounces the resignation of the international community. The Church of India prays for peace, and calls for a political solution to the conflict. "We are with the Tamils living in Sri Lanka, and those dispersed all over the world."

People in Tamil Nadu accuse the Sri Lankan government of slaughtering minority Tamils in northern Sri Lanka. Photos showing massacred women and children are being circulated among India’s Tamils. A protest rally is scheduled for 29 April in front of India’s parliament in New Delhi to demand the government put pressure on Sri Lanka to stop the fighting and the violence on civilians.

China objects to the participation of pro-Tibet human rights groups. The Conference’s accreditation committee postpones a decision, de facto excluding them. Tibetan leader in exile slams Chinese racism and China’s anti-Tibetan cultural genocide.

In Kandhamal villages BJP supporters kept an eye on polling stations, threatening Christian voters. Global Council of Indian Christians Chairman Sajan George says no violence took place but “these elections cannot be said to have been peaceful and calm.”

The situation is calm in Kandhamal, the Orissa district most affected by Hindu violence. Tight security measures and the timely provision of identity papers allow Christians in refugee camps to cast their ballot. However, another 51,000 displaced Christians who are not in such camps have not been able to vote. Bhubaneswar bishop is “satisfied by the election process”, but stresses that ‘in the villages BJP supporters have threatened to expel Christians if they do not vote for their party.”

For the bishop of Bhubaneshwar, "while a few political parties give a notion that they seek the good of our people, sadly the facts prove the contrary." The police arrest a BJP candidate after a rally during which he incited the crowd to violence, and accused the Church of converting the population by force. Easter celebrations held under armed guard in refugee camps.

The tough stance of Tibetan leader Urgen Tenzin over the death sentences issued yesterday by the court of Lhasa, in a trial that is maintained to have been unjust. But the greatest concern is for the "more than 6,000 Tibetans arrested arbitrarily," many of them still awaiting trial.

In Kalyan, in Maharashtra, Hindus are celebrating the "reconversion" of 1,130 families. The guru Narendra Maharaj urges the faithful not to be corrupted by the Christian missionaries, and calls on them to vote for the parties that defend the Hindu community. Bishop Fernandez: Christians must continue to spread the message of love, and the values of the Gospel.

The Bharatiya Janata Party pledges that it wants to institute "a permanent inter-faith consultative mechanism" for discussions with Christians, including "the issue of religious conversions." The secretary of the Indian bishops' conference: "I pray they mean what they say."

He is Dara Singh, sentenced to life in prison for the murder of the Australian Protestant and his two young sons, burned alive in 1999. He is running for the legislative assembly of Ghasipura. Cardinal Gracias: his candidacy "does not speak well of the future of our country."