Nirmala Carvalho

The local administration removed the statue, erected 18 years ago, despite opposition from residents. It claimed that it was executing a High Court order when in fact, the case is still pending in court. Hindu ultranationalists have long claimed the land on which the local church stands.

Bishop Samuel Mar Irenios and priests from the Diocese of Pathanamthitta were taken into custody in connection with illegal sand mining by a man who leased land from the diocese. However, unlike the men religion, the main suspect and government officials accused of complicity in the affair were never detained.

On the eve of local elections in the small state where Christians are a quarter of the population, the Council for Social Justice and Peace warns that, “Money and freebees are distributed and unfortunately many people accept them. These offer no solution for unemployment, for escalating prices and homelessness.” Above all, “Let us not be manipulated by political experiments, electoral adventurism and deceptive propaganda.”

Illegal sand mining on land leased by the Diocese of Pathanamthitta had been going on for years. In 2020, local authorities imposed a first fine. Bishop Joshua Mar Ignathios told AsiaNews that the issue is strictly legal. Speaking about his fellow prelate, “We shall prove his innocence,” he said.

Syro-Malankara Bishop Samuel Mar Irenios Kaattukallil of Pathanamthitta (Kerala) and five priests are accused for mining on Church-owned land. The accused say that the mining was done without the Church’s knowledge on land leased to a farmer. In the meantime, the nun blamed for the suicide of a young woman in the Michaelpatti hostel has been released on bail. The case has been exploited by Hindu nationalists in their anti-conversion campaign.

Dalit group renews call that a Dalit be chosen as the new archbishop of Pondicherry-Cuddalore; local Dalits represent the vast majority of the faithful. Out of 18 dioceses in Tamil Nadu, only one has a Dalit bishop.

The suicide of a girl in a hostel run by the Franciscans of the Immaculate Heart of Mary is being used to fuel accusations of conversion. The case is now in the hands of India’s Central Bureau of Investigation, but according to the local school board no complaints were ever filed against the nuns. Meanwhile, in another district, two nuns were attacked by Hindu radicals. For Archbishop Felix Machado, Hindu nationalists “have cleverly constructed a narrative and found ways to carry it out” against Christians.

On the eve of Republic Day, which also coincides with the promulgation of the Indian constitution, the archbishop emeritus of Guwahati speaks out. In his view, the country is slipping into the hands of the “earning” elite to the detriment of the poor and minorities. How can the authorities repeat that religious freedom is guaranteed when government interference in conversions is increasing, along with words that sow hatred between faiths?

62-year-old Sister Sahaya Mary, in charge of a student hostel linked to the Sacred Heart Higher Secondary School in Michaelpatti, was arrested. Behind the arrest was the death by poisoning of a 17-year-old student. Social media have amplified and distorted the story. The young girl had lost her mother eight years ago and was the victim of harassment by her stepmother, a BJP supporter.

In Open Doors’ World Watch List 2022, Afghanistan bumps North Korea for the top spot as the most hostile place for Christians in the world, even though the situation in the East Asian country has worsened. On average, 16 Christians are killed and 10 abducted worldwide per day. Two out of every five Christians in Asia live in an area where persecution is rampant. Another study released in Jaipur reports about 300 attacks against Christians in India in the past nine months.

While India grapples with the Omicron variant, the Cardinal Gracias Memorial Hospital has installed equipment for new emergencies. Archbishop Machado urges federal minister “to tell the central government” that Christians “are an integral part of building the nation,” not its enemies.

Arrested in 2018 following accusations by a former superior of the Missionaries of Jesus, the bishop of Jalandhar, who was put on leave of absence, always maintained his innocence. Only 39 witnesses out of 84 were called to testify in court.