Christian intellectuals in India have called on the community to safeguard pluralism and fight fringe elements targeting Chri-stian, Muslim and other minori-ties. In an open letter to Catholic and Protestant leaders, 101 Christian theologians, academics and members of different orga-nisations expressed concern over Hindu nationalism “What used to be fringe, has now become main-stream,” the non-denominational letter said. It comes against a backdrop of increased attacks on Muslims, including several cases of lynching, by Hindu mobs in the name of protecting cows, which are revered by Hindus.

The letter made a veiled reference to a perceived lack of coordinated action among Chri-stian churches against religious violence. The Christian commu-nity itself has experienced increased violence since the pro-Hindu Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power in 2014. In the past three years there have been more than 600 incidents of violence against Christians.

The letter to Christian leaders stated that it was time to take bold initiatives, and join with civil groups, to prevent further erosion of human and constitutional values. “In unison with members of all faiths, ideologies, we should marshal India’s tremendous spiritual resources in consolida-ting peace, resolving conflicts and infusing a sense of values in the body politic,” it added.

Bishop Theodore Mascare-nhas, general secretary of the Indian bishops’ conference reacted to the letter saying: “Our doors are open to everybody. These leaders [who signed the letter] are most welcome to come and discuss.” He told ucanews.com that the church stands by its principles and are “against ideologies of polarization, hatred and violence.”

An expert on Islam told an inter-religious gathering here that “this is the best time” for Christians and Muslims to build relation as Pope Francis has been leading the Church for inter-faith actions from front.

Capuchin Father Michael D. Calabria, director of the centre for Arab and Islamic studies in St Bonaventure University based in New York, was addressing a July 17 seminar at India Islamic Cultural Centre in New Delhi.

Some 100 selected leaders from Christian, Muslim and Hindu religions attended the program organized by Interfaith Coalition for Peace, which also includes Catholic organizations and leaders.
Father Calabria told the gathering that he sees this as “best time” not only for “Christians and Muslims to come together” and but also for “inter-faith dialogues” because Pope Francis as leader of the Catholic Church encourages such action as no other Pope did in history.

If Fr Ralin de Souza is not celebrating a mass at the Shrine of our Lady of Fatima in the city, you can bet your last penny that he will be at the nearby basketball court.

A Salesian priest at Don Bosco, Fr Ralin has been heading the Goa Basketball Association (GBA) for four years and has now achieved a unique distinction: He is the best-quali-fied basketball coach from Goa and the third-best in the country.

“Basketball is now my vocation. I give it religious significance,” said Fr Ralin, who is the only Goan basketball coach to be listed on the FIBA-WABC website among 111 Indian coaches who are qualified after the intensive coaching program undertaken by FIBA and WABC in India.

From among all his passions, Father Ralin always gave special importance to basket-ball.

The tomb was alongside his wife Usha Narayanan in the non-denominational cemetery run by the Delhi Cemeteries Committee on Prithviraj Road. Chitra, the eldest of Narayanan’s two daughters and former IFS officer, in an email told Outlook: “The burial was done according to the wishes of her mother (Usha), a Christian.”

During his stint in Rangoon as an Indian Foreign Service Official, Narayanan had met his wife, a Burmese woman named Tint Tint, an Evangelist protestant. He married her in 1950 after the Centre gave its blessing. Tint Tint later adopted the name Usha.

“After the passing of Shri KR Narayanan, the State Funeral and cremation according to Hindu rites took place in Karma Bhumi near Rajghat,” said Chitra. “A small portion of the ashes were retained by his widow Smt Usha Narayanan, a Christian, to be buried alongside her. At her passing in 2008, this was done according to her wishes at the Prithviraj Road cemetery. This was an entirely private wish and should be respected accordingly.” “A part of the ashes was mingled with those of Shri KR Narayanan’s late parents. Shri KR Narayanan was a Hindu and respected equally all religions,” Chitra said.

The per-household religious contribution of Christians is the highest among all communities, as per data from the 72nd round of National Sample Survey (NSS) on Household Expenditure on Services and Durable Goods.

After Christians, it is the Sikhs followed by Muslims who contribute more to charity. But in absolute terms, Hindus contributed maximum in 2014-15, thanks to larger population, according to National Sample Survey data.

The data were recently extracted from the NSS’ raw findings by a team of researchers led by Sabir Ahamed of the Pratichi Institute and Zakaria Siddiqui, research assistant at the Crawford School of Public Policy, Austra-lian National University. The 72nd round was conducted in 2014-15, but could be accessed only in late 2016.

Religious contributions are divided under two heads: the contribution to institutions is ‘charity’ and the non-charitable part is under ‘priests and rituals.’ Hindus contribute 82 per house-hold per month to charities and 92 to the priests, while Muslims give 126 and 54 to charities and Maulanas respectively.

Contributions multiplied by each surveyed household of Hindus in the country indicates that the community contributes 15,600 crore to priests and charities. The actual contribution of Muslims is 2,580 crore.

About 300 people from two parishes at Dasarahalli in Bangaluru pledged to donate their eyes. The parishioners belonging to St Claret and St Joseph Church on July 16 pledged to donate their eyes with Project Vision, an organization working for the cause in the city.

So far more than 60,000 people have pledged to donate their eyes with Project Vision. Already 100 people have received sight through the donations done through this organisation in various parts of the country. According to Project Vision, in 2016, only about 26,000 people donated their eyes in India, though there were about 85 lakh deaths reported.

Indian Americans, spanning various communities, held protests in three US cities, to express their outrage over lynching of minorities by mobs in India and the Narendra Modi government’s policies which are “emboldening such forces.”

The protests here as well as San Diego and San Jose were organised by The Alliance for Justice and Accountability (AJA), an umbrella coalition of progressive organisations across the US, and other groups. A fourth protest is scheduled to be held in New York City on July 23, said a press release from AJA.

These protests are similar to the “Not In My Name” protests that have been held across various cities in India. Besides the AJA, the protests in San Jose were jointly organised with the “Multifaith Voices for Peace and Justice,” while the South Asia Solidarity Initiative (SASI), will be part of the protests in New York City.

Protesters slammed the “brutal killings of mostly Muslims and Dalits in the name of cow protection,” alleging these were orchestrated by “Hindu supremacist groups ideologically aligned” with the BJP-led central government and “drawing inspiration” from the beef ban imposed by the governments in various states.

“The reign of terror unleashed by Hindu supremacist cow vigilantes is clearly targeted at browbeating the nation’s religious minorities into the status of second class citizens,” said Suhail Syed, one of the organisers of the protests in Washington DC.

Protesters in San Jose carried signs, such as “India – Hostage to Hindutva?” and “Beef Ban is Cultural Fascism.”

The AJA has pledged to work with people of all faiths to defend India from the onslaught of hate and divisiveness.

The Jesuit-run St Xavier’s college in Kolkata city marked its transformation as India’s first Jesuit university when opened its new academic year on July 7, just six months after achieving the new status.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee unveiled the plaque of the new building along with business tycoon Lakshmi Mittal, a former student of St Xavier’s, who funded the building.

The Archbishop Thomas blessed the Marble statue of St Xavier after a short prayer at the entrance marking the opening of first academic session of university.

The 157-year-old institution was allowed to build a university in New Town, a satellite city of Kolkata, last December when state legislature unanimously passed a bill –The St Xavier’s University, Kolkata Bill 2016.

Jesuit Father Felix Raj, vice chancellor of the university, told the gathering that they could not have achieved it but for the support of many people. Welcoming the new students he said: “We shall try the best to form them men and women for others. It is only the beginning and we will slowly grow,” he said.