From The States

Wave of attacks during Christmas season worries Odisha Christians

A wave of violence against Christians in Odisha, eastern India, has raised alarm over citizens’ religious freedom guaranteed by the country’s Constitution. The latest incident occurred on December 26 in the Gabardhanpur village of Balasore district, where the members of the New Life Church were attacked while celebrating Christmas with a local family. According to […]

Research Patent Granted to Prof. Sanjose A Thomas

Prof. Sanjose A. Thomas, Head of the Department of Sociology at Theva-ra S.H. College, has been awarded a pa-tent for his research titled “How to Transform Emotiona-lity in Social Media for the Benefit of Society.” The Department of So-cial Sciences at Sacred Heart College is spearheading this innovative study. By utilizing new technologies, the research […]

Radio Salesian marks 9th birthday with listeners

The first college based community radio of Darjeeling Hills marked its 9th birthday with its listeners from a remote tea garden village. Operating from Salesian College Autonomous Sonada, Radio Salesian is a venture of Kolkata Salesians with its claim to be the only Community Radio of South Asia Salesians. “Radio Salesian 90.8 FM celebrated its […]

Christians slam move to enact anti-conversion law in Indian state

Church leaders and activists have criticized a state government’s decision to enact an anti-conversion law in the northern Indian state of Rajasthan, calling it “politically motivated.” The Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP)-run government in the state approved the draft for a tough new law to prevent so-called “forced religious conversions” in the state. The draft bill, […]

India’s top court tells warring church factions to share properties

India’s top court has told the warring factions in the Oriental Syrian Orthodox Church of Antioch to share all public amenities at disputed Church properties in a southern state until a solution to the row can be found. The government in Kerala is finding it difficult to implement a 2017 apex court order that awarded […]

Archbishop condemns attack on Hindu seer’s statue in India

An archbishop has conde-mned an attack on a revered Hindu seer’s statue in a south-ern Indian state. “We have learned through media reports of the unfortunate and deeply disturbing incident of the defacement and vandalization of the statue of the late Shivakumara Swamiji in Girinagar in Banga-lore,” Archbishop Peter Ma-chado of Bangalore said in a […]

Indian pastor, four others arrested for alleged conversion

Five Christians, including a pastor, have been arrested in a northern Indian state under a sweeping anti-conversion law after hardline Hindu activists objected to their holding a Sunday prayer meeting. Police in Uttar Pradesh on Dec. 8 arrested Pastor Vineet, his wife Payal, who were both identified by a single name, and three others, who […]

Restive Indian state lifts internet blackout

Internet was restored in India’s conflict-torn northeastern state of Manipur on Dec. 9, weeks after a blackout was ordered to contain deadly ethnic violence and clashes between protesters and police. Ethnic clashes broke out in Manipur last year between the predominantly Hindu Meitei majority and the mainly Christian Kuki community, killing more than 250 people. […]

Eviction-facing Indian Catholics to fight Muslim charity’s claims

Goans oppose tourism project near 16th century basilica