India

The prime minister met with a delegation from the Syro-Malabar Church in Delhi a few days after the controversy over anti-conversion billboards in Chhattisgarh. BJP representative: ‘We are ready to help anyone, not everything should be viewed through a religious lens.’ Meanwhile, in another state governed by Hindu nationalists, young people studying at the seminary in the diocese of Gwalior are being targeted.

The local High Court rejected a petition challenging signs banning Christian clergymen and converts from certain villages, ostensibly to defend the “local cultural heritage”. For the Syro-Malabar Church, this is the worst example of divisiveness since partition, marking out Christians “as second-class citizens”.

In the Archdiocese of Verapoly, the Catholic community is preparing for the beatification of the nun who founded the first Indian Carmelite congregation, combining contemplative life with service to her brothers and sisters. Cardinal Sebastian Francis, who will preside over the ceremony on 8 November: ‘Stronger than any challenge by putting Jesus at the centre: a testimony to be imitated even today’.

The Indian government wants to introduce strict rules on content generated by artificial intelligence, such as deepfakes. The measure aims to combat abuse and disinformation, but raises serious concerns about privacy and freedom of expression. Critics and legal experts warn that the obligation to label and track content could turn into a tool for digital surveillance.

The place of worship, dedicated to St Joseph, is located in the village of Munpi, a remote area in the Singngat region. A Catholic couple from Goa made a significant contribution to its construction. The inauguration was presided over by the Archbishop Emeritus of Imphal. For the prelate, the church ‘will contribute to their healing, their relief and their sense of stability’.

Eight officers suspended from duty in Kathua district: they stood by and watched during an attack by Hindu fundamentalists on a minibus carrying participants in a Christian initiative. Behind the ‘anti-conversion’ initiative is the local BJP leader, already reported for other acts of violence.

The 2021 legislation, which imposes up to 10 years for converting to another faith, has come under scrutiny. Some of the law’s provisions violate personal rights and privacy. For the bishop of Lucknow, the rulings are a “welcome relief and a sign of hope for the Christian community”, but all "unconstitutional" provisions must be struck down.

The archbishop of Imphal spoke to AsiaNews in Rome. Violence between Meitei and Kuki-Zo has diminished, but "the mental divide continues”. Modi's visit in September came “too late”. The Church is providing assistance to displaced people. For the prelate, “survivel comes first, then, the pursuit of peace”. Meanwhile, Naga leader Thuingaleng Muivah returned to Manipur after decades.

Delivered by the President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI), Monsignor Andrews Thazhath. No Pope has visited the subcontinent since John Paul II's last visit in 1999. In 2024, Prime Minister Modi renewed the government's invitation to Pope Francis. Meanwhile, in Seoul, the Minister of Unification hopes that the pontiff's presence at World Youth Day 2027 will be a step towards ‘de facto unity’ between the Koreas.

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 northern Indian state has arbitrarily denied land rights granted under the Forest Rights Act of 2006. The legal process has reached a stalemate, but the case of the village of Kajaria has reignited the debate over the slow implementation of the regulations and the broken promises to indigenous peoples, for whom forests are not only a source of subsistence but also the basis of their identity.