Following objections from some MPs, the head of the local government has decided to withdraw the controversial bill from the Legislative Assembly’s agenda; like in other Indian states, the bill targeted “unlawful religious conversions”. Catholic leaders and representatives of other minority groups had expressed concern.
At over 4,000 metres above sea level on the Yarlung Tsangpo, Tibet’s sacred river that becomes the Brahmaputra in India, the dam includes a system of five cascading plants that will produce enough energy to power the entire United Kingdom. Concerns have been raised about its location in an earthquake-prone area and the forced displacement of populations. The political implications will impact relations with Delhi and Dhaka on the crucial issue of water management.
The Bombay High Court has overturned the 2015 convictions of twelve men accused of carrying out the “7/11” attacks in 2006, in which 189 people were killed and over 800 injured. The judges ruled that the confessions had been obtained through torture. The charges were based on a flawed investigation and a presumption of guilt, denounced lawyer S. Muralidhar, highlighting the social stigma and devastation in the lives of the defendants, who had been imprisoned unnecessarily for years.
In the state that includes Mumbai, the state government is targeting people who allegedly hide their conversion to Christianity to avoid losing benefits reserved for disadvantaged groups. The state legislature is expected to vet a new anti-conversion law in the coming winter session. The Church is against forced conversions,” said Card Gracias. For Fr Devasagaya Raj, crypto-Christians is a meaningless term. The real problem is discriminatory laws in a multicultural country.
In the world's most polluted capital, the territorial government is set to begin experiments in artificially stimulating clouds to generate rain during periods of stagnant atmospheric conditions. According to a study, 30 million residents risk losing up to 12 years of their life due to poor air quality.
The woman had given birth on the vehicle during a trip in the interior. This extreme act is one of 160 cases of newborns dangerously abandoned every year in the garbage or on streetlights in the large state that includes the metropolis of Mumbai. The Church remains committed to welcoming life.
Introduced by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, it provides for up to life imprisonment for anyone who intentionally destroys a sacred text of any religion. Punjab, the only Indian state with a Sikh majority, had previously passed a similar law, but it was rejected by the Union government because it was limited to the Guru Granth Sahib, the book revered by the majority faith. The new bill, which will be examined by a select committee before it is voted on, also penalises abetment to commit sacrilege.
On 29 June, nine minors fled the Vidyadeep Children's Home in Aurangabad, Maharashtra. They caused a disturbance and reported abuse to the district authorities. The Sisters of the Cross of Chavanod deny all allegations. Sr. D'Souza: ‘The story has taken a political turn.’ Bishop Pinto: ‘An example of selfless dedication for over a century.’
The purge of non-Hindus at Sri Venkateshwara Swamy in Tirumala has also reached the top of the organisation that manages the sacred site. Muslims object: ‘If Hindu temples are to be administered only by those who profess this religion, why is this same principle not applied to the Islamic Waqf?’
Just four months before local elections, the Commission has ordered a review of the eligibility of nearly 30 million voters who have registered over the past 20 years. Sr. Dorothy Fernandes tells AsiaNews: ‘The government is afraid of losing and will end up depriving the marginalised, migrants and Muslims who are unable to complete the necessary paperwork of their right to vote.’
Four years after the death of the Jesuit who dedicated his life to defending the land rights of India’s indigenous peoples, the Bagaicha centre, which he founded in the State of Jharkhand, continues to fight for the poor. Despite threats and continuous mining, Jesuits and activists continue their mission to accompany tribal communities in claiming their rights, in the name of Father Stan Swamy, a symbol of justice for new generations too.
The Indian prime minister visited Ghana and Trinidad and Tobago before travelling to Argentina, Brazil (for the BRICS summit), and Namibia to boost ties with developing countries and challenge Chinese influence. Billions-dollar investments in Africa and South-South cooperation top the agenda, while at home the opposition accuses him of neglecting domestic crises.
A special university course has been launched in collaboration with the Swami Vivekanda Cultural Centre. The first distance learning course in the Indian lingua franca was launched in January. The High Commissioner of Delhi for Sri Lanka: ‘A bridge of understanding and communication between our countries’.
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