Nirmala Carvalho

In Uttar Pradesh, opposition is mounting after Hindu nationalist Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has 2.6 million oil lamps lit for the Festival of Lights. For some it was a waste of resources taken from the poor, a view seen as anti-Indian by the ruling BJP. For Father Anand Mathew, while inequalities are growing, and many, especially Muslims, are suffering, Diwali remains a “joyous celebration” for all.

The controversy over the Islamic veil at St. Rita's Public School in Palluruthy continues: the student has finally left the school. The family: ‘Great psychological distress’. The Catholic newspaper Deepika defended the management's position on the dress code. Minister Sivankutty: ‘Kerala supports secular values. No institution violates constitutional rights’.

The case of a student at St. Rita School in Palluruthy who wants to wear the hijab despite uniform regulations prohibiting it is reigniting interreligious tensions in Kerala. After attempts to resolve the matter peacefully, the local government has asked the school to comply. Criticism from the National People's Party: ‘This is not an isolated attack on Christian institutions; the authorities must not be complicit.’

The court ruled that the land is a private donation, not religious property, squashing the Waqf Board’s attempt, in 2019, to claim the area as a religious asset, creating uncertainty for more than 600 Catholic families who had legally purchased the land. The court called the Board's action a “land-grabbing tactic”, clarifying that the state is not bound by its orders. The Archbishop Chakkalakkal of Calicut calls for the full restoration of property rights.

The head of India's highest judicial body was targeted with a shocking gesture by a lawyer from a Brahmin family for comments he made during a hearing regarding a temple in Madhya Pradesh that Hindutva nationalists deemed offensive. The judicial community was outraged by a casteist attack that “cannot be tolerated”.

The boy, accused of ‘contaminating’ the home of a higher caste family, was beaten and locked in a barn. They demanded a goat from his parents as a sacrifice to ‘purify’ the home. The bishop of the diocese of Simla and Chandigarh told AsiaNews: ‘This is not an individual tragedy, but a social sin. We are all responsible if structures of discrimination go unpunished.’

In its ‘Hate Crime Tracker’, the Association for the Protection of Civil Rights recorded 141 violent crimes against minorities in just three months between June and August 2025. In 90% of cases, the Bajrang Dal was involved, with the highest number of incidents in Uttar Pradesh. The latest attack took place in Chhattisgarh, where a Christian who refused to ‘convert’ to Hinduism had his house destroyed amid death threats. ‘These incidents are now becoming routine.’

The campaign launched by Muslims during the festival celebrating the birth of the prophet has provoked a harsh reaction from the Indian authorities: over 1,300 reports and 38 arrests in four states, as well as several violent clashes. The BJP responded with posters celebrating the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath, and his “bulldozer policy”, a symbol of selective demolitions against minorities.

The nun was accompanying teenagers to a training seminar organised by the Social Services Centre of the Diocese of Jamshedpur. Accused of ‘trafficking and conversions’, she was detained for hours at a station until late at night. Once the accusation was proven unfounded, the activity went ahead as planned. But the episode confirms a worrying trend that sees fundamentalists targeting educational activities promoted by Christians in the service of all.

The form for the census, which will begin on 22 September, includes a list of caste names associated with the adjective “Christian”. The BJP opposes the local Congress-led government: ‘This opens the door to the admission of Christians among disadvantaged groups.’ Archbishop Machado: ‘We have told the faithful to choose freely whether to identify with one of these groups or to declare themselves simply as Christians. But it is essential to cooperate with the census.’

The incident took place in the Churachandpur district. The attack occurred just over 24 hours after the Prime Minister's visit to the area, which has been the scene of sectarian violence. The target was the home of Khenthang Calvin, a member of the Kuki National Organisation (KNO), which signed a ceasefire agreement with Delhi. A second attack (unsuccessful) targeted the residence of Ginza Vualzong, spokesperson for the Kuki-Zo Council (KZC).

New guidelines from the state education department are designed to curb marginalisation and discrimination based on ethnicity and caste. Strict confidentiality regarding caste affiliation is required, especially for scholarship recipients. For Fr Devasagaya Raj, Catholic schools should do more to promote the Gospel values of equality.