Nirmala Carvalho

To mark the fifth anniversary of the centre for human rights of which he is director, Fr Cedric Prakash SJ urged different religions to come together for the struggle against injustice, breaking free from obscurantist urges. He has the support of a renowned activist and religious leader, Swami Agnivesh.

Interview with Ruth Manorama, a Christian women from Tamil Nadu, who won the 'Alternative Nobel' for her commitment to outcaste women in India. "Their life is deprived of any human dignity, they endure oppression, they are marginalised. This is why I work on their behalf".

Bishops of the western state have described as "unconstitutional and discriminatory" amendments approved by the state parliament. They explain that conversion is a personal grace, in which earthly power should not interfere.

The decision is made by the Hindu nationalist-controlled Karnataka state government enforcing an old policy established in 1992. For some public officials involved in social integration warn the decision amounts playing politics with education.

Mgr Oswald Gracias, Archbishop of Agra and President of the Conference of Catholic Bishops' of India of Latin rite, told AsiaNews that the International Day of Peace called by the United Nations "is an invitation to the global community to build peace and justice."

The new version of the law defines Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism as denominations of the same religion. Gujarat's political opposition and the Catholic Church will challenge the law, which is seen as part of a wider plan to sow dissension within religious communities.

The president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India has told AsiaNews that the recent protests against the speech of Benedict XVI in Regensburg are a great gift to the Church, to be used at this historic moment in time to launch serious and lasting inter-faith dialogue.

Dalits have been chased out of camps for displaced people and discriminated against in aid delivery. Research has indicated that one Dalit woman is raped every 60 hours and one man killed every nine days.

Benedict XVI's references to Islam in a lecture he gave at the University of Regensburg have generated protests and discussions in India, home to 120 million Muslims. Catholics defend the Pope and criticise the media for publishing remarks that are taken out of context and oly fuel the controversy.

The Indian Church urges the international community to adopt the principle of Satyagraha launched a hundred years ago by Gandhi and put it into practice to build a more just society without divisions.

The cardinal, president of the Indian Bishops' Conference, condemned yesterday's attack against the Muslim community in India and urged people to keep hoping, and to look to Gandhi's message as the key to the future of the country and all mankind.

The prelate expresses sorrow and closeness to the families of the 54 victims of the Bhadith mine disaster, who died trapped for two days underground. He urges the country's executives to make workers' dignity their priority.