India

For the first time an Indian premier was the guest speaker at an event at the CBCI headquarters in Delhi. He praised Bishop Thazhath's commitment to the country's unity, but also voiced the concerns of Christians who are victims of violence by extremist fringes. Modi expressed sorrow for those who ‘cause unrest in society’ and recalled his invitation to Pope Francis to visit India. Best wishes to Card. Gracias, Archbishop of Mumbai, who turns 80 today.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) made the announcement on Thursday since the two national teams have tended to avoid playing in the other country for years. Cricket matches between the two countries are always full of tensions, reflecting bilateral political relations. Politicians are also present in the two national cricket federations.

In the past few days, two proposals for constitutional amendments to merge elections had been tabled but did not receive parliamentary approval. The plan was to hold the general consultations and those of the individual states at the same time. For the supporters, including the BJP, this system would obscure the role of regional parties.

This is the first state visit by Sri Lanka’s new president to India since his inauguration. He offered reassurances regarding Delhi's concerns about the presence of Chinese ships. Modi promised collaboration in the country's recovery efforts, but also expressed hope that the new administration would keep its promises vis-à-vis Tamils.

The Bishops' Conference intervenes in the dispute that in Kerala sees the Waqf (the Islamic Property Administration) claiming land where Christian families have lived for decades. The bishops also denounce the spreading of ‘fragmented’ news about a meeting between the president of the CBCI, Msgr Thazhath, and about twenty national parliamentarians, with the risk of ‘creating confusion’.

Msgr. Linus Neli's Christmas message to the faithful in the Indian state rocked by violence. Let us bring flashes of God's peace to the world around us. Yesterday, meanwhile, interreligious prayers were held in Imphal and many other cities in India for the suffrage of the dead and for reconciliation

The comment was made at an event organised by the ultranationalist Hindu far right. Judge Shekhar Kumar Yadav made similar anti-Muslim comments in the past and recently reiterated his support for a uniform civil code. Opposition parties filed a complaint with the Supreme Court.

The National Inclusive Children's Parliament writes to India’s Chief Justice. Interruptions not only lead to learning problems, but deprive many pupils of a regular meal. For NICP president, “Schools are not just classrooms – they are spaces where we grow, thrive, and feel safe”.

The Indian government has adopted infrastructure development policies for the country’s north-eastern state to increase connections with Bangladesh, but political and religious tensions now risk complicating the situation. Despite calls for diplomacy in New Delhi and Dhaka, Tripura hotels and hospitals say they do not want Bangladeshis.

The head of the transitional government met 32 representatives of religious communities, declaring that everyone in Bangladesh is part of the same family and pointing the finger at the ‘disinformation’ of some Indian media. The pastor of the Dhaka cathedral told AsiaNews, ‘We recognised that although some incidents have occurred, exaggerated or false news is also being spread. We want to live in harmony’.

Hundreds of students have taken to the streets in recent hours to demonstrate against the attack on the diplomatic representation, with serious damage to the building. Earlier there had been demonstrations in India against the arrest of Hindu leader Chinmoy Krishna Das in the neighbouring country. The two governments tighten control and security measures.

The Society of Pilar is hosting the world meeting for the first time in the Indian city from 2 to 6 December, concurrently with the exhibition of the relics of Saint Francis Xavier. Card Ferrão hopes the societies can “inspire the Church” to embrace her “synodal journey". PIME superior general was also present.