Nirmala Carvalho

The Bishop of Shimla, Mgr Mathias, told AsiaNews that the law seeks to put a stop to Church activities for the most vulnerable members of society. But he assured that this service would not stop even in the face of attacks by fundamentalists.

Police found 400 bones and skeletons of newborn babies in Ratlam, behind a Mission Hospital led by the Anglican Church of North India. The hospital has been accused of foeticide but the bishop says the whole episode is an “anti-Christian conspiracy”.

The central government has launched a “cradle scheme” to encourage parents not to abort their female babies but to give them to the state instead. In the Union, the female/male ratio is “alarming”: in Delhi it is 821/1000 against 954/1000 of the global average. The archbishop of Mumbai is happy; he sees the initiative as a “continuation of the work of the Church for life”.

The original death sentence handed down to Dara Singh was commuted to life imprisonment. He killed the Australian missionary and his two little sons. Now he says he is innocent and asks to be released from jail to look after his elderly mother.

The land where local Catholics have been laid to rest, in use since 1998, has increased in value. Some industries, in connivance with the government, are plundering it. Six tombs have been destroyed.

Fr Tom Mangattuthazhe, who coordinates the United Christian Forum, tells AsiaNews about the tragedy of Assam’s rural people afflicted by ethnic violence, drought and usury, and the commitment of the Church to better their situation.

The president of the Episcopal Health Commission told AsiaNews that the Church does much but can still do more especially for marginalized communities. Celebrations at the “Lourdes of the East” and national seminars on medical challenges and ethical values will be held.

The four women belong to Gospel for Asia. Their attackers, including a local policeman, are activists from the Sangh Parivar.

India is accused of not doing enough to protect Dalit rights. Strong-worded Indian diplomatic reaction finds support in the European parliament itself.

A group of armed young Hindu nationalists attacked participants of a pacific meeting because they held those attending “guilty” of preparing a conversion plan. The victims included American tourists. The police have opened a case against “unknown” assailants.

Bishop Dabre said the ‘lectio’ of Benedict XVI held the basis of respect for different cultures and hence the need for the dialogue. The West promotes beauty of appearance but there is also the beauty of the soul.

The governing UPA administration is preparing a minority map of the country so as to best target social spending at the regional level. BJP nationalists are against.