India

Court accepts to hear a complaint by some Catholic families in Tamil Nadu over caste segregation in burials for Dalits in the village of Kottapalayam. The diocese has until 15 April to respond. Fr Devasagayaraj told AsiaNews that such situations, unfortunately, persist in southern India. For him, “Christ and Caste can’t go together.”

While world attention is focused on the synthetic drug from China, a market for illegally produced opioids in India is fuelling a health emergency in Nigeria, Ghana and Ivory Coast. Indian authorities have launched searches and imposed restrictions on the production and export of certain drugs, while the WHO reports that counterfeit medicines pose a growing threat.

Robert Naorem presented his collection, which uses the local tradition of hand-weaving to promote indigenous embroidery. He also offered a message of peace for the Indian state shaken by violence between Meitei and Kukis in the past two years. He calls for an end to clashes, and for everyone to get involved in development.

In June Beijing allocated over 5 million dollars in aid, equipment and assistance. India had previously invested billions of rupees in development projects. The accusation against Indian fishermen who use trawl nets: ‘If this practice continues, there will be no more fish left in our areas in the future’.

In a video that went viral in the state of Chhattisgarh, Aadesh Soni calls on thousands of Hindu nationalists to target Christian women and ‘erase all traces of their faith from the region’. The bishop of Raipur tells AsiaNews: ‘The local government is silent, if anything happens we will hold them responsible’.

Wanted in India for money laundering, he now can preach in public after a ban imposed five years ago for making incendiary sermons. Malaysian political leaders and human rights activists urge the government to reconsider the decision. His attacks against the believers of other religions risk undermining harmony and coexistence.

To avoid new tariffs from the US, India has promised to buy more US weapons, oil and gas, as well as crack down on illegal immigration. New Delhi is, however, in a delicate position due to a slowing economy and delicate relations with other countries. Meanwhile, hundreds of Indian migrants have been deported from the US, something the Modi government has not yet commented on.

The initiative by Sister Sheela Savari Muthu was held in a public park in Indore in partnership with St. Francis Catholic Hospital to benefit the children of domestic workers. Police detained participants for a few hours, after moving in following complaints by Hindu extremists. “We do not accuse these brothers,” said Bishop Chacko Thottumarickal. “We respond with prayer."

A woman in Punjab spoke to AsiaNews about her journey and the hardships converts from Islam face. Since she chose to follow Christ, Naseem has endured isolation, death threats, and discrimination. Yet, despite economic obstacles and family objections, her unshakeable faith remains a source of hope. For activist Joseph Janssen, freedom of worship should be exercised without fear of persecution.

The local BJP government wants to implement the contested law that was approved in 1978, but that successive governments had since set aside. On 6 March the discussion in the Legislative Assembly in a state where Christians make up 30% of the population. The Arunachal Christian Forum protests: ‘This law is clearly against us, we demand its withdrawal’.

While Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in the United States, President’s Rule was imposed on the northeastern state, shaken by almost two years of interethnic violence between Meitei and Kuki. Manipur Chief Minister Biren Singh, a BJP member, quits, worsening the political crisis. Peace must be restored and the needs of the population must be met, the archbishop of Imphal tells AsiaNews.

After elephants killed two people recently, the Archeparchy of Changanassery issued a circular emphasising how “daily life is becoming difficult”. Minorities are negatively impacted by exclusion from reservation policies as well as environmental and forestry legislation. A rally is scheduled for this Saturday. For Archeparch Thomas Tharayil, governments should promote the public good.