Nirmala Carvalho

The church in Nazat is targeted. The radical group's leader issued a seven-day ultimatum to the parish priest to leave. Christian groups reported the incident to the police, to no avail. The bishop of Baruipur, who praises the missionaries' work, expressed his firm condemnation to AsiaNews.  

Heavy monsoon rains have submerged hundreds of villages in the worst natural disaster in recent years. The local diocese is mobilising to help everyone, without distinction, in the emergency and reconstruction efforts. For Bishop Hemron, “let us be instruments of God’s compassion”.

He tendered his resignation to Modi following demonstrations led by the Cockroach Janta Party over irregularities in public examinations. The news comes the day after talks between the CJP and the government. Party leader Abhijeet Dipke said: “This is just the beginning”. Bishop Savio Fernandes tells AsiaNews: “A victory for the people of India”.

The movement born on social media after the public exam scandal continues to bring thousands of young people to the streets despite clashes with the police. Calls for reform of a system perceived as increasingly less meritocratic and the support of various figures now mark a new phase of protest.

The national football team’s victory in the final against Argentina in New York provided an opportunity for many parishes to rediscover the Iberian missionary tradition, which has given rise to numerous educational institutions in India and still maintains a significant presence there. It is no coincidence that Kerala is the football capital of India.

A convent where a chapel and cemetery are under constructions was the object of an intimidatory raid. Although Catholic nuns have all the necessary permits issued by the previous state government, Hindu extremists are demanding the immediate demolition of both chapel and cemetery. With the BJP's victory in the state elections, attacks and intimidation against Christians are up.

The Kumey River in Arunachal Pradesh submerged many buildings in Parsi Parlo parish, severely damaging the rectory, convent, and school. For Bishop Benny Varghese, “The Word is life- it withstands every trial and continues to bring hope, even in the darkest moments.” Rescue and recovery operations are underway.

An alleged fraud estimated at 11.6 billion rupees has been uncovered in Madhya Pradesh, linked to a government programme that encourages the production of ethanol to blend with petrol. But the case also reopens the debate on the appropriateness of using grains for biofuels while millions of Indians depend on food aid.

Thousands of people took to the streets to demand the postponement of the 2027 census until the National Register of Citizens is updated. For the majority Meitei, this is a tool against illegal immigration from Myanmar, while for the Kuki-Zo minority, it risks becoming a means of political and social exclusion. The ethnic conflict that broke out in 2023 remains unresolved, exacerbated by competition for land and cross-border routes.

In Chhattisgarh, the wave of intolerance in villages against those who refuse to renounce their Christian faith shows no sign of abating. The police are accused of collusion. Meanwhile, there have been further acts of intimidation in West Bengal too: four separate incidents took place last Sunday in the densely populated eastern Indian state, including an attack on a church under construction in Subhashgram.

From Ukraine, Sister Ligy Payyappilly, a nun from Kerala, shares her account of a journey to the areas closest to the front line of the war with Russia. “We have been alongside people for whom the war is not just news but a daily struggle for survival. The challenge is to give children living here a chance.”

In recent weeks, in the district of Narayanpur, a series of measures have targeted Christian families with the aim of forcing them to take part in tribal religious rituals. The Archbishop of Raipur to AsiaNews: “These actions are funded by those with a self-serving political agenda. Let us pray that God may open their hearts.”