India

by Nirmala Carvalho | INDIA

With a Mass presided over by Card. Poola, the Holy Year and the long history of the complex, whose first church dates back to 1820, were celebrated. The commitment of the PIME missionaries was remembered. New areas were inaugurated, including a parish centre and the Adoration Chapel.

by Nirmala Carvalho

The measure touches 10 places of worship along the path of a Hindu procession during which participants throw coloured powder at each other. This year's celebration coincides with Islamic Friday prayers during the holy month of Ramadan. The authorities remain on maximum alert. Catholic priest laments that the Muslim community is “living in fear” of attacks by Hindus.

| 13/03/2025
| INDIA
by Nirmala Carvalho

Chief Minister Mohan Yadav makes the shocking statement at an event for Women's Day in Bhopal. Conversion becomes the equivalent of raping minors. Against the backdrop of “government apathy and indifference,” such remarks incite “the masses against the minorities,” laments Archbishop Machado of Bangalore, speaking to AsiaNews.

| 11/03/2025
| INDIA
by Nirmala Carvalho

The young son of a bishop of the (Protestant) Church of North India died and two women were raped in a crime committed at a well-known tourist site. The Catholic bishop of Bellary, Mgr D'Souza, calls for “culture of safety and security for all women".

| 10/03/2025
| INDIA

Tamil Nadu rejects New Delhi’s three-language policy imposing Hindi in schools. As a result, the Union government blocked educational funding for the state, fuelling tensions. For his part, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin is offering US$ 1 million to anyone who can decipher the Indus Valley script, which would boost his state’s Dravidian identity.

| 07/03/2025
| INDIAN MANDALA
by Nirmala Carvalho

After 33-year-old Shahzadi Khan was executed last month, reports indicate that two men from Kerala were executed in the Emirates last week. India's Ministry of External Affairs said it provided its citizens legal assistance. More Indian nationals await on death row in the Gulf country.

| 06/03/2025
| INDIA
by Nirmala Carvalho

Thousands in Ladakh have joined the hunger strike in Bodh Gaya for full control of the Mahabodhi temple, the place where according to tradition the Buddha received enlightenment. At the heart of the protest is the management committee, which is dominated by Hindu members. Venerable Bhikkhu Sanghasena calls on the Indian government to recognise the right of Buddhists to independently run their holiest site. Meanwhile, support for the protest grows in India and abroad.

| 05/03/2025
| INDIA
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“L’Asia: ecco il nostro comune compito per il terzo millennio!” - Giovanni Paolo II, da “Alzatevi, andiamo”