India

Today's headlines: Israeli security forces killed two Palestinian youths near Jenin; after two years, the Japanese emperor returns to greet citizens on New Year's Eve; Islamabad and Delhi exchange lists of nuclear sites and prisoners; Pyongyang shops flooded with luxury goods - counterfeits - of Chinese origin; Uzbekistan blocks the sale of Indian medicines.

The Indian film industry, which churns out up to 1,600 films a year, has not yet recovered from the pandemic. Regional, non-Hindi productions, on the other hand, are increasingly popular. Films are also dragging with them the popularity of music: new genres and artists are emerging thanks to social media.

Whether it is in Mumbai, Delhi or Goa, stories abound of abandoned infants, especially baby girls, dumped in rubbish bins, prey to animals. Less than 2 per cent of approximately 30 million orphans and abandoned children find a place in a facility. For Dr Pascoal Carvalho, a member of the Pontifical Academy for Life, a “society needs to be judged not by its per capita income but by whether we have support systems in place for those who struggle with emotional and material needs.”

Great fervour accompanied celebrations in Kandhamal, a district marred by violence 15 years ago. For Fr Madan Singh, “Many tribal people of other faiths came with lighted candles to pay homage to the new born king in the crib.” The largest sand statue of Santa Claus in the world is made on Gopalpur beach.

Official data indicate that a milestone has been reached in a country that until a few years ago had one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world. Now reducing the rate to under 70 is an achievable goal to meet the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Still, regional differences persist among Indian states.

In Narayanpur district, hundreds of protesters want complaints to be filed against people who have attacked and evicted tribal residents for converting to Christianity, instigated by local politicians. As many 21 such incidents have been reported this month. “Our fundamental rights [. . .] are being taken away from us,” reads one complaint.

Superior of the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Saint Marc, Sister Ligy Payyappilly chose to stay close to the local population after Russia’s invasion. She tells AsiaNews about the courage of the Ukrainians and how, on Christmas, her convent will become a place of shelter and welcome.

The country has the highest number of such attacks worldwide. In 60 per cent of cases, victims do not report the attack because the wheels of justice turn at a snail’s pace. The reasons behind the violence are rooted in a patriarchal culture.

Rishi Rajpopat, 27, reinterpreted a grammar problem by Pāṇini, a master of the Hindu sacred language who lived in the 5th century BC. According to scholars, his intuition could revolutionise the study of a language used in India for centuries in scientific, philosophical and literary works.

Arsenal Consulting found 44 documents planted via malware, which India’s National investigation agency used as “evidence” of terrorism against the Jesuit who died at 84 in July 2021 after many months in prison. His confrere, Fr Mascarenhas, told AsiaNews that the hacking began in 2014, soon after current Prime Minister Narendra Modi took office for the first time.

The High Court of Kerala struck down a provision in an 1869 law that required a separation period for married Christian couples to bring it in line with those of other religious communities. For Fr Babu Joseph, “Although the High Court is legally right,” its ruling will have “social repercussions” on marriage. The Church “will do everything possible to save it rather than let it fall apart.”

Clashes with minor injuries in a sector in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. The Indians say they pushed back Chinese troops attempting to encroach. In June 2020 the last real military confrontation between the two sides. Indian retired general: Xi Jinping's (unsuccessful) attempt to regain prestige after the withdrawal of his 'zero-Covid' policy.