Catholic prelates appeal to the State’s various communities after a month-long violence pitting Meitei against tribal groups. They note that “concessions can be made in view of the common good” while “Both communities concerned know their destinies are intertwined.” Meanwhile, more attacks are reported against Kuki villages; in one, scores of houses and the church were set on fire. Weapons are rumoured to have been taken from armouries.
The only Catholic family in an Orissa village, they were forced to flee during the 2008 persecution, losing everything. Now the little girl from that time has made her first religious profession, and the Hindus who had participated in the violence also took part in the Christians' celebration. A ray of light amid gathering darkness for Christians in the state of Manipur.
More than 500 altar servers attend a meeting organised by the Archdiocese of Pondicherry-Cuddalore at the Shrine of Our Lady Periyanayagi. Many of them are girls even though there is still resistance in some parishes. For Archbishop Kalist, serving at the altar “is a great ministry, which must be carried out with devotion and prayer”.
The archdiocese has appealed for relief for more than 45,000 refugees, victims of clashes between ethnic Meitei and Kiku. A tense calm imposed by the army reigns in the state’s 16 districts. Meanwhile, the death toll has reached 60. Some 40 churches have been affected, including Catholic facilities in eight locations. The attacks appear to have been planned. The Church is trying to lead the way towards reconciliation.
Over 5,000 faithful at the opening of the Marian place of worship. An occasion of joy for a community still scarred by the 2008 anti-Christian pogroms unleashed by Hindu fundamentalists. A way to heal the wounds and traumas especially for the little ones.
Heavily defeated in the vote for the local Legislative Assembly by PM Modi's Hindu nationalists who won a majority five years ago. Voters rejected the identity ideology pursued through the anti-conversion law and the law against "love jihad." Bangalore Archbishop Machado: "Now a government that really serves the people in a secular way."
The two governments are negotiating the move to expand economic cooperation especially in the energy sector. It would be a way to stem the foreign exchange problems created by the economic crisis. Several banks in Sri Lanka have already opened special accounts to allow them to trade directly with the Indian currency.
Child protection agencies target another Christian welfare institution, the St Francis Orphanage in Sagar. Founded more than 150 years ago, it serves orphaned and special needs kids. During the raid, its church was desecrated, documents destroyed and mobile phones and computers seized. For the past three years, orphanage administrators have been trying to renew their licence to operate. Court orders upholding the status quo have been ignored.
India’s military has restored order in the wake of clashes that left more than 50 people dead, deeply scaring the local population. “What began as an inter-ethnic clash hastily developed an inter-religious dimension in the polarized atmosphere that the majoritarian Hindutva regime at the national level has created. Several Kuki churches were destroyed or damaged,” said the archbishop emeritus of Guwahati speaking to AsiaNews. In border states, “Confidence-building measures should be adopted. No community must be made to feel hoodwinked or bypassed.”
Majority Meitei want Scheduled Tribe status fearing immigration from Myanmar and Bangladesh. Protests by hill tribes opposed to the demand has resulted in serious violence and, according to unconfirmed reports, casualties. The state government imposed a curfew and shut down the internet. Mostly Christian tribal communities fear losing their land, the bishop of Miao told AsiaNews.
Christians who met in a private home are arrested for “disturbing the public peace”. For Archbishop Thakur of Raipur, extremists are “sparking tensions” while police are “are duty-bound to protect the people”. Meanwhile, in Tamil Nadu, the state government comes out against Hindu anti-conversion rage, noting that “the Constitution of India guarantees every citizen the right to propagate their religion”.
Saibella Augustine’s husband was killed by a stray bullet on 15 April. She and their daughter had joined him for Easter. This afternoon, her husband’s employer moved them to a guest house. The dead man’s sister, Sister Reyma told AsiaNews that the family is “shattered”.
Leaders of local Protestant communities, they were arrested after clashes with other animist tribesmen in Narayanpur district. The archbishop of Raipur, Mgr Takhur, told AsiaNews: 'A courageous choice by the judiciary. There was no evidence against them, only pressure from the nationalist right'.
These are mostly people from the western state of Gujarat. After receiving proper training and a fake visa for Canada or Mexico they attempt the crossing. The traffickers demand as much as 65,000 euros per person. The push to migrate comes from the community itself but also from the difference in wages.
A civil court forces the Archeparchy of Kottayam not to exclude members who marry outside of their community. The rigid and contentious rule sought to safeguard the ethnic identity of a group that traces its origins back to 72 Jewish Christian families who migrated from Mesopotamia to modern-day India 17 centuries ago.
In a video that went viral, a speaker during a VHP rally instigates hatred against Christians with delusional statements about imaginary initiation rites involving nuns. Faced with the failure of the authorities to take action, Sister Manjula Tuscano, a nun and lawyer, has filed a petition with the High Court of Gujarat.
Originally from Kerala, an Indian catholic man was hit by a stray bullet that came through a window of his flat. More than 4,000 Indians currently live in the African country plunged into chaos following the outbreak of violence between the country’s military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.
While in Rome a group of experts prepares the Instrumentum Laboris of the Synod from the continental syntheses, in India the parish of Uttan held the gathering of its network of communities, an experience that dates back to the 1980s in the archdiocese of Mumbai. Fr. Godfrey Malu: "Listening to everyone is our style."
The chapter on the Muslim dynasty that ruled over a large part of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries was removed after some episodes surrounding the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi were also changed. The 2002 Gujarat riots also disappeared. According to experts, the changes for the year 2023-24 are the most radical so far.
The state’s High Court ordered the release of Bishop Almeida of Jabalpur after he was arrested as part of a campaign by the local Child Rights Protection Commission against Catholic entities. Meanwhile, accusations have been made after an inspection at a school science lab in the Diocese of Sagar found human remains.
The goal is to track and monitor the Indian Navy and Indian military and strategic assets in the region, as well as UK-US installations on Diego Garcia. Sri Lanka is under pressure from China over its debts. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has received a situation report from Indian naval intelligence.
The Indian premier paid a visit to the Sacred Heart Church as a gesture of concern for Christians. And in a tweet, he hoped that this holiday would "raise the spirit of harmony in our society." Fr. Thelakat to AsiaNews: "A positive fact that recognizes India's pluralism. But now Christians also expect him to come out of his silence on growing anti-Christian intolerance and control extremist elements within his party."
The UN agency’s support for lipid-based nutrients to solve a problem that affects more than 900,000 children is questioned in India. Various groups complain that the solution benefits certain economic interests. The Welfare Society for Destitute Children promotes a different approach in many Maharashtra villages, namely working with the poorest families on their “eating behaviour, while promoting healthy eating habits.”
Police in India's hi-tech district took into custody a man for holding and selling record amount of information stolen from individuals and organisations, legally downloaded from popular apps.
Paradoxically, a country with 47 per cent of the population under 25, rural areas are left with seniors (70 per cent of them). Government projects that seniors will go from 138 million in 2021 to 194 million in 2031. Many continue to work, especially in agriculture, or depend on their children, but in some place, police look after them.
The first hearing on a petition asking for the legalisation is scheduled for 18 April. While admitting various forms of union in society, India’s government has already expressed its opposition. In a letter to the chief justice of the Supreme Court and to the president, representatives of different faiths call for the request to be rejected.
Since 1927 the Daughters of the Cross have cared for single mothers. Today their home also cares for abused girls entrusted to them by police and social services. Dedicated to life, the Sisters help young mothers understand that they and their children are safe at their home.
A mob instigated by Bajrang Dal extremists block a funeral procession. Police had to intervene to allow the family to bury their loved one on their own private land.
In the face of plummeting rubber prices, Monsignor Joseph Pamplany, archbishop of Tellicherry, calls on the central government to intervene, promising support for Hindu nationalists in return. Fr Thelakat, former spokesman of the Syro-Malabar Synod: 'A barter for money that does not consider the good of the country'.
A school principal was arrested during an inspection and boarding hostels came under investigation in the Diocese of Jabalpur, following pressure from Priyank Kanoongo, a Hindu nationalist and president of the National Commission for the Rights of the Child, who is not at his first initiative against Christian schools. Bishop Almeida called on the faithful to pray. "We have been serving the poor’ he said. In the end, “the truth will be vindicated in the court.”
