India

by Nirmala Carvalho | INDIAN MANDALA

Tension remains high between Delhi and Islamabad after the attack in Kashmir that left 26 dead. Airspace closed, agreement on rivers revoked, Hindu nationalists press for armed retaliation. The vice-president of the Bishops' Conference: “May our efforts for peace continue.”

by Nirmala Carvalho

In the predominantly tribal district of Sukma, families were forced out of their homes and dumped in a forest. Only the intervention of the police allowed them to return, but locals first prevented access. Archbishop Thakur laments ongoing persecution, stressing that the Church continues to serve without discrimination despite unfair accusations.

| 17/04/2025
| INDIA

Six organisations in the border town of Moreh have asked residents not to give up their land for the construction of a border fence. The project by the central government, backed by ethnic Meitei, would mark the end of the free movement regime for tribal populations. Protests break out in Nagaland as well, where the Naga fear a new division of their land.

| 16/04/2025
| INDIA

According to the 2025 Global Happiness Index, happiness and satisfaction vary greatly among Asian countries. In India, 88 per cent say they are happy, while only 60 per cent say the same in Japan. In Southeast Asia, too, happiness and positive attitude towards the future are higher than in the more advanced economies of East Asia. Economic difficulties remain the first cause of unhappiness everywhere.

| 15/04/2025
| ASIA

Pope Francis has approved the promulgation of the decree on a miracle attributed to the intercession of the Kerala nun, foundress of the Teresian Carmelite Sisters. Father Lanciotti, killed in Brazil in 2001, the first martyr of the 21st century, will also be blessed. Antonio Gaudí, the architect of the Sagrada Familia, was declared venerable.

| 14/04/2025
| VATICAN
by Nirmala Carvalho

The police denied permission for the Palm Sunday initiative that had been held for years, gathering thousands of faithful, for reasons of ‘public order’. The Catholic association protests in the metropolis where BJP nationalists have recently returned to government: ‘Other communities and political groups are allowed processions and gatherings: the authorities must guarantee respect for religious freedom and equality’.

| 14/04/2025
| INDIA
by Nirmala Carvalho

The parents' complaint has led to an investigation: "It is a double discrimination," said Fr Devasagayaraj Zackarias. Tamil Nadu's Minister of Education stands with the student. But in India, the social stigma associated with the menstrual period and the weight of the caste system are still strong.

| 12/04/2025
| INDIA
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“L’Asia: ecco il nostro comune compito per il terzo millennio!” - Giovanni Paolo II, da “Alzatevi, andiamo”