South Asia

In Baldia Town, the intervention of religious leaders, students and the police protected a Christian family at the centre of (as yet unproven) allegations of desecrating the Qur’an. Respect for the investigation was called for, and Friday sermons emphasised religious brotherhood. The Justice and Peace Commission told AsiaNews: “An important gesture”.

With the passing of the Women Farmers’ Empowerment Bill, Maharashtra has introduced legislation guaranteeing equal access to financial support and public services for millions of women workers. Until now, they had been excluded because they did not own the land and were considered labourers.

Buddhist monks and farm workers are taking to the fields to defend the rights of livestock farmers in the disputed area of the Eastern Province. The land has come under the scrutiny of rice farmers. In 1974, the area was designated a ‘grazing area’, partly to ensure the balance of the ecosystem. Converting the land would also deprive elephants of their habitat, raising the risk of attacks on villages.

Thousands of people took to the streets to demand the postponement of the 2027 census until the National Register of Citizens is updated. For the majority Meitei, this is a tool against illegal immigration from Myanmar, while for the Kuki-Zo minority, it risks becoming a means of political and social exclusion. The ethnic conflict that broke out in 2023 remains unresolved, exacerbated by competition for land and cross-border routes.

A new armed attack took place at a checkpoint in the Ziarat District resulting in the death of nine agents and 15 suspected attackers during response operations. The Balochistan Liberation Army is suspected. Local Christian groups offer their sympathy for the victims, speaking out against the climate of fear in which people live.

In Chhattisgarh, the wave of intolerance in villages against those who refuse to renounce their Christian faith shows no sign of abating. The police are accused of collusion. Meanwhile, there have been further acts of intimidation in West Bengal too: four separate incidents took place last Sunday in the densely populated eastern Indian state, including an attack on a church under construction in Subhashgram.

The death toll from the unrest triggered by overcrowding has risen to at least 29 (including seven officers) with over a hundred injured. Prisoners were transferred and attacked. Mothers are demanding the return of the bodies and criticising the authorities for arresting their sons “on false charges”. Behind the prison crisis lies a system that rewards police officers and officials based on the number of arrests made.

Clashes among inmates and the subsequent action by security forces have left several dead and more than a hundred injured in the prison, which is about 35 kilometres from the Sri Lankan capital. The tragedy reignites the debate over the conditions in the country’s prisons, which have been characterised by chronic overcrowding for years.

From Ukraine, Sister Ligy Payyappilly, a nun from Kerala, shares her account of a journey to the areas closest to the front line of the war with Russia. “We have been alongside people for whom the war is not just news but a daily struggle for survival. The challenge is to give children living here a chance.”

India confirms the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty amid worsening relations with Pakistan. But various politicians, former diplomats, and religious leaders from both countries have signed an appeal to reopen negotiations on Kashmir and rebuild bilateral relations.

The Indian government has ordered the removal of three apps that can be used with smartphones to shut down moving vehicles. Now more than 60 per cent of new three-wheelers registered in the country are electric, while the battery-powered car market continues to register record sales.

The government granted an additional week following protests, but confirmed assistance is still limited to three months. Families forced to leave “illegal” settlements in April complain that the resettlement plan is unbalanced. Human rights groups are also critical of the government.