Santosh Digal

In the village of Bodimunda, Hindu merchants and taxi drivers would refuse Christian customers for fear of penalties. Now Christians are no longer ostracised. In Dodobali, five Christian families were able to rebuild their homes and are now represented on the village council.

Bishop Thomas Pulloppilil, the Diocese of Bongaigaon, appeals to bishops, religious leaders and people of goodwill in the country. The violence of July between Bodo tribals and Muslim settlers led to 90 deaths and hundreds of thousands displaced. NGOs and Catholic groups continue to bring basic necessities. The nee to set up a nursery for children.

Mgr Yvon Ambroise criticises the Kudankulam station (Tamil Nadu) for its shortcomings and the government for its indifference. For about a year, 50,000 people are on a rotating fast demanding the plant be shut down. The Church backs them through its prayers. Growth and development are necessary but not at the cost of human lives.

The Federation of the Asian Bishops' Conference (FABC) calls on heads of state and government to sign the UN arms trade treaty. Global military expenditure and arms trade is worth US$ 1 trillion annually.

A 12-hour prayer service and cultural meetings are held in a Catholic school in Kandhamal. Together, people from all walks of life sang, read the Bible, prayed and took part in small recitals. Catholic priest says, we brought "our unity" to "bear our Christian witness to all".

Some members of opposition parties accuse the Biju Janata Dal government of having reached a secret pact with Maoists before last year's state elections. Yesterday, the uncle of a witness in a 2008 anti-Christian pogrom trial was abducted. A local judge does not intervene. Only the action of the Global Council of Indian Christians obtains his release.

Prison Ministry India, a national voluntary organisation for priests, nuns and lay people, is behind the initiative. Recognised by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India, the ministry works to rehabilitate inmates and ex-convicts. India's 1,393 prisons are overcrowded with an occupancy rate of 115.1 per cent. More than half of all inmates are awaiting trial.

Kandhamal Authority will pay the man 50 thousand rupees (about 760 euros). During the anti-Christian violence in 2008, Hindu ultranationalists burned the house of Ashor Kumar Ray, 45. A lawyer for the Archdiocese’ Commission for Justice, Peace and Development assisted the man in bringing his trial to the State High Court.

The Bosco Barefoot College provides courses in tailoring, agriculture, carpentry, farming, cultivation of silk and English. The goal is to educate boys and girls, so that they may become self-sufficient and productive.

This according to Fr Subhash Anand, professor and theologian, in the country for 35 years. In order for this way of life to become a reality, priests should promote dialogue between different religions.

The Seva Kendra Calcutta, a social service centre of the Archdiocese of Calcutta, promotes low-cost technologies that respect the environment and human health. In rural villages, families have no access to electrical power and have to rely on kerosene, a fuel that is both expensive and highly toxic.

The Indian Catholic Church explains the controversial points of the Communal Violence Bill (CVB), still stalled in the approval process. Opponents consider the draft unconstitutional given the government's ability to override the central state authorities in cases of response to violence against minorities.