India

Politicians, activists and scholars have documented the origins and development of the language, spoken mostly by tribal people, while the state government has shut down schools using Assamese. Since colonial times, the language has struggled to establish itself due to competition from Bengali, an issue that still worries Assam nationalists.

In its message to Hindu communities on the eve of the Festival of Lights, the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue wishes their hearts be filled “with peace and joy.” Everyone should work against “Religious fundamentalism, extremism, fanaticism, racism and hyper nationalism” and break down “stereotypes, fostering empathy, sensitivity and respect”.

Local authorities are excluding Rohingya children because they do not have the Aadhaar identification card, the biometric identification system reserved for Indian citizens, this according to NGO that filed the complaint. The Delhi High Court refused to hear the case, arguing that it is a policy matter for the Home Affairs Ministry.

The archbishop of Bombay reflects upon Pope Francis’s new encyclical for AsiaNews. “In India we are very proud that many of our homes are dedicated to the Enthronement of the Sacred heart of Jesus. It is very important for us to once again understand the meaning” of this act. “Our country will benefit much from this whole attitude.”

While India reached an agreement with China on border patrols, activist Sonam Wangchuk, 58, ended one of his many hunger strikes. Local herders, whose activities have been limited due to military tensions (unlikely to decrease, experts say), fear the construction of power plants.

According to international observers, this is a pragmatic truce among long-term rivals. Diplomats from the two countries will resume meetings to manage the border dispute in Ladakh. For India’s Modi, talks with everyone is an opportunity to show himself as a credible leader of the global South.

Since 13 October, at least five violent incidents have been reported in different parts of the country, most notably in Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh. Prayer services and buildings were targeted, a family was not allowed to bury a loved one in the village cemetery. The police are complicit with the attackers. For the archbishop of Bangalore, government silence is “baffling”.

This follows previous announcements and could lead to a bilateral summit between Narendra Modi and Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the BRICS summit underway in Kazan, Russia, which, for the first, includes Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates. Negotiations between New Delhi and Beijing over the past four years have ended in an impasse and experts say disputes between the two are far from being resolved.

The latest Multidimensional Poverty Index data released by UNDP finds that among the 1.1 billion people in the most extreme condition, 1 in 5 live in India. Rural areas have the most extreme situations. Fr. Nithiya Sagayam to AsiaNews: “Data that also challenge us as a Church. When will we see a true social synodality?"

Baba Siddique was killed on 12 October as he left his son’s office; the latter is a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Maharashtra, where voters will go to the polls on 20 November. The investigation suggests that behind the killing is the Bishnoi gang, which has been accused by Canada of killing Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on behalf of the Indian government. The group has a track record of threatening Bollywood stars for killing blackbucks, sacred to their community.

Although a ban on alcoholic beverages is in place in the Indian state, government officials and police turn a blind eye on liquor produced by local mafias. For Fr Louis Prakash, the latter “get protection” through “corruption and collusion” that “cost the lives of the poor.”

Prices vary according to demand, with surcharges, for example, for priority use of operating rooms. The government tried to address the issue in 2020, but many hospitals have found ways to unbundle charges into separate fees. Sister Beena, executive director of the Holy Family Hospital, stressed the need for universal health coverage.