The sensitive border state of Manipur “is engulfed in violent anarchy,” says M.G. Devasaha-yam, a retired bureaucrat from India’s elite civil service cadre, who previously served as an army officer seeing action in war and engaging in internal security matters. Devasahayam, a guiding force of an exceptionally influen-tial group of retired civil servants and judges who have taken on the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, this week cau-tioned that the decision to arm police with mortars and machine guns is not the way to a “Manipur solution.” He quotes another retired army officer living in the state, Lieutenant General L. Ni-shikanta Singh, saying Manipur is now “stateless” where life and property can be destroyed by anyone at any time, “as it happens in Libya, Lebanon, Nigeria, Sy-ria.” “It seems that Manipur has been left to dissolve in its own juice. Is anyone listening?” he adds. Among those not listening is the Indian prime minister, who was in New York recently to add-ress the United Nations General Assembly. He attends such inter-national events regularly and torus other pasts of India but has not visited Manipur once. He has also failed to announce any action program on restoring peace and providing relief to the more than 60,000 people living in refugee camps in the state or scattered elsewhere in the country without any livelihood, and often with little food or medicines. The fact that most of the 250 or so dead are Christians and over 400 churches have been destroyed in the state has helped consolidate the argument that the persecution is both ethnic and targeted against Christians.
All the Kuki-Zo-Hmar are Christians, of Catholic and several Protestant denominations. The government says it is just ethnic strife. Amnesty International in a recent report on Manipur found “a picture of a state missing-in-action” despite the claims of “timely intervention” and a promise of financial aid. The London-based rights group accused the state government of a “violation of UN Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement.”

Abp Linus Neli of Imphal has requested Pope Francis to pray for the people of Manipur state in north-eastern India. The archbishop made the plea on September 21 during an audience with the Pope. He was in Rome to attend the September 15-22 formation course for newly appointed bishops organized by the Dicastery for Evangelization. In a message shared with the people of Manipur via social me-dia, Abp Neli expressed his heart-felt prayers for his community, emphasizing the urgent need for God’s intervention to restore peace in the troubled region. He conveyed to the Pope the dire si-tuation in Manipur and requested the pontiff to pray that the people there might live in harmony, em-bracing forgiveness and recon-ciliation. Ethnic violence, raging in Manipur since May 3, 2023, has led to the deaths of at least 220 people and driven thousands to relief camps. “It is difficult, yet forgiveness and love for ene-mies are the only ways forward, as our divine Saviour Christ tau-ght us on the cross at Calvary,” Abp Neli stated, urging people to recognize their shared huma-nity amid the ongoing turmoil. The unrest in Manipur started after the Manipur High Court directed the local government to study the possibility of extending the reservation for tribal commu-nities to Meiteis, the largest ethnic group in the state. The special economic advantages and quotas in government employment and education is currently enjoyed by the Kuki community. The ruling has intensified pre-existing ten-sions between the two groups, deepening ethnic divides and triggering widespread turmoil.
The unrest has had serious repercussions for Manipur, which borders Myanmar. Around 60,000 people have been displaced, with numerous families compelled to abandon their homes in search of safety. Reports suggest that thousands are still living in precarious conditions, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in the area. Archbishop Neli became the head of the Catholic Church in October 2023 during the challenging time for the community. Many homes, buildings, and churches have been destroyed, impacting both the local people and the church. In response, many supporters have stepped up to help those affected by the violence. Archbishop Neli’s request for the Pope’s prayers highlights the urgent need for peace and reconciliation in Manipur. The 67-year-old prelate has encouraged the Catholic community to keep Manipur in their prayers during October, the month of the Rosary. In a separate message to Matters India, the archbishop said he also appealed to the Pope to pray and bless for Myanmar in civil war, Bangladesh in political instability. The Pope “showed great concerns of such gravity and he encouraged us not to lose heart,” Archbishop Neli said.

The top court of India’s Maharashtra state has, for an eighth time, refused to hear a plea seeking to clear late Jesuit Father Stan Swamy from an anti-terror case that includes a plot to kill Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Justice Revati Mohite-Dere of the Bombay High Court recused herself from hearing the plea on Sept. 20 that wanted to remove Swamy’s name from the seven-year-old Elgar Parishad-Bhima Koregaon case filed against 16 leading activists in the country. The legal term recuse means that a person is unqualified to perform legal duties because of a potential conflict of interest or lack of impartiality. The judges have rescued themselves from hearing the case on seven earlier occasions. However, a lawyer following the case told that these judges have not explicitly expressed their potential conflicts of interest in the case. Petitioner, Jesuit Father Frazer Mascarenhas, based in Mumbai, Maharashtra’s capital, said “this was the eighth bench in the high court refusing to hear the case.” No bench in the high court is willing to hear the case “because it is clearly in our favour,” said Mascarenhas, whom the Jesuits appointed as a delegate to file the case in December 2021 after Swamy’s custodial death on July 5, 2021. “We still do not know why eight benches refused to hear this case. It is a clear case of justice being denied to Father Swamy,” Mascarenhas said. The judges fear “retribution from the government,” Father Mascarenhas told on Sept. 23. The 84-year-old Swamy was arrested on Oct. 8, 2020, from his residence in Ranchi in eastern Jharkhand state. He was accused of offenses such as sedition, having links with the outlawed Maoist group, and being part of a conspiracy to kill Modi. He died in a Mumbai hospital as a prisoner on July 5, 2021, after being denied bail on medical grounds despite suffering from multiple age-related ailments.
Rights activists say Swamy was arrested because he opposed the policies of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in his state and marshalled tribal people to oppose them. A recent report by Massachusetts-based Arsenal Consulting, a digital forensics firm, disclosed Swamy was arrested based on evidence planted on his computer’s hard drive by hacking it. Along with 15 others, Swamy was accused of a role in instigating mob violence in Bhima Koregaon in Maharashtra on Jan. 1, 2018, which left one dead and several others hurt. All the accused persons in the Bhima Koregaon case are leading academics, writers and human rights activists like Arun Ferreira, Vernon Gonsalves, Sudha Bharadwaj, Anand Teltumbde, Gautam Navlakha, and poet Varavara Rao. In 1818, the battle of Bhima Koregaon was fought between the Maratha confederacy and the British East India Company, whose forces included members of the Dalit community. The celebration of the 200th anniversary by Dalits turned violent as they were opposed by pro-Hindu groups.

The Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI) on September 10 launched a set of 115 textbooks for schools under the Central Board of Secondary Education and the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education. CCBI president Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrao, Archbishop of Goa and Daman, unveiled the textbooks at an event held at St. John’s National Academy of Health Sciences, Bengaluru.Present on the occasion were 40 bishops, including Cardinals Oswald Gracias and Anthony Poola, attending the CCBI Executive Committee meeting, along with educationists, major superiors, secretaries of the CCBI Commissions, and other dignitaries. “Education is a primary mission of the Church in India. With numerous schools across the country, we are committed to providing quality education to future generations. This new series of textbooks will further strengthen our education,” said Cardinal Ferrão. Cardinal Gracias, Archbishop of Bombay, congratulated those involved in publishing the textbook series for Catholic schools. Archbishop Peter Machado of Bangalore stressed the church’s responsibility in shaping future citizens who uphold both human and constitutional values. He also referred to the CCBI’s value education textbooks, launched in 2022, as an essential tool in this mission. The textbooks were published by Arclight Global, the CCBI’s publishing arm, established in 2022.The launch marks a significant step forward in the Church’s efforts to enhance educational resources in its schools across India, says Father Alathara.

Police in a northern Indian state have booked two people for allegedly trying to sell off a more than a century-old Protestant church by posing as its office bearers. Police said Jordan Masih and Mary Wilson were arrested after they tried to sell the 129-year-old Golaknath Memorial Church in Punjab state’s Jalandhar city, posing as the treasurer and member of the church.Sanwar Bhatti, president of the United Church of Northern India Trust Association, which claims to hold a power of attorney for the church, told UCA News on Sept. 10 that they learnt about the fraud last week and complained to the police. Jalandhar police said the duo struck a deal with a prospective buyer and collected a token amount of 500,000 rupees (some $5,000) in June. “The duo is absconding, and police are trying to trace them,” Bhatti said. Pastor Nanook Bhatti, a Jalandhar-based Christian leader, told UCA News that media reports of the incident have shocked the local Christian community. “It is a very unfortunate thing to happen. But it is also a lesson to all Christians that they must be very alert about their church properties,” he said. Church sources said the church, located in the Mission Compound in Jalandhar city, is spread over 0.5 hectares of land and is valued at 1.5 billion Indian rupees (some US$19 million). The church also has historic significance as it is named after Golaknath Chatterjee, a Bengali Hindu convert to Christianity who renounced his home and became the first Indian missionary in the Punjab around 1830. Before him, the region was served by foreign missionaries. Pastor Amit Prakash, secretary of the Chandigarh diocese of the Church of North India (CNI), thanked the police for timely action as Masih was trying to register the deal at the land records office. Jordan Masih “is not a member of the CNI Church. He has a history of fraudulently selling church properties,” Prakash said. He said several people, like Masih, are targeting the properties owned by the CNI. “They pretend to be members and try to forge documents to make fraudulent deals,” the pastor added. Punjab is a Sikh-majority state where the rate of conversion to Christianity has been on the rise in recent decades, causing concern among the state’s Sikhs. Sikh preachers allege that Christians now constitute 10 percent of the northern state’s 28 million people.

The Synod of the Syro-Malabar Major Archiepiscopal Church, gathered at Mount St. Thomas, Kerala, having received prior papal assent according to CCEO can. 184, canonically elected to the office of Archbishop of the Archeparchy of Changanacherry, Mar Thomas Tharayil (52), until present Auxiliary of the Archeparchy of Changanacherry, and Mar Prince Antony Panengadan (48), until present Bishop of the Eparchy of Adilabad. Both elections were made public on August 30, 2024. Archbishop Thomas Tharayil was born on February 2, 1972, in Changnacherry. He was ordained a priest on January 1, 2000, after completing his theological studies at St. Thomas Apostolic Seminary, Vadavathoor. He holds a doctorate in psychology from the Gregorian University in Rome and has served as Director of Danahalaya, an Institute of Formation in Alappuzha. Known for his expertise in psychology and as a retreat preacher, he was ordained as a bishop on April 23, 2017, and now assumes the role of Archbishop of Changanacherry.Bishop Prince Antony Panengadan was born on March 13, 1976, in Arimpur, Archdiocese of Trichur. He was ordained a priest on April 25, 2007, after completing his theological studies at Ruhalay Seminary, Ujjain. He later obtained a Doctorate in Biblical Theology from Urbaniana University, Rome. Bishop Panengadan has served as Assistant Parish Priest and priest-in-charge of mission stations in the Eparchy of Adilabad. He was ordained a bishop on October 29, 2015, and is now appointed as the Bishop of the Eparchy of Shamshabad.

The Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI) has launched its new National Pastoral Plan, titled “Journeying towards a Synodal Church: Mission 2033.” The plan was officially released by Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão, President of the CCBI, during a meeting at St. John’s National Institute of Health Sciences, Bangalore, on September 11, 2024. The event saw the presence of 40 bishops, along with 27 secretaries of CCBI Commissions and regional deputy secretaries from 14 regions of the CCBI. This initiative follows a year-long process involving over 5,000 members of the Latin Catholic Church in India, including bishops, clergy, religious leaders, men, women and youth. The focus is on answering a crucial question: “Where is God calling the Church to be by 2033?” “It is the fruit of conversations in the Spirit,” Cardinal Ferrão said. He emphasized that the plan is a collective project and called on every individual to contribute to its realization at parish, diocesan, regional and national levels. A committee, led by Bishop Gerald Isaac Lobo of Udupi, has been formed to oversee the implementation of the plan, which will be rolled out through the Commissions, Departments and Apostolates of the CCBI at the national, regional and diocesan levels.

Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão, president of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI), has urged people working for the conference to serve the Church with joy and dedication. The cardinal was addressing the staff of various CCBI secretariats on September 9 at Paalanaa Bhavana in the southern Indian city of Bengaluru, a press release issued by conference deputy secretary general Father Stephen Alathara.In his address, Cardinal Ferrão reminded the clergy, the religious, and the laity that a joyful heart is essential in carrying out their mission within the Church. He encouraged them to draw strength and inspiration through prayer and family life. He also urged them to reflect the love of Christ in all aspects of their service. He thanked them for their dedication.The program was attended by more than 52 staff members, including priests, religious, and laity, representing various offices such as the CCBI general secretariat, Pontifical Mission Organisations, Catholic Connect and Arclight Global.The CCBI’s Catholic Connect mobile app, launched in January, offers access to a wide range of spiritual resources, relevant news, and practical services, including health insurance, education, job opportunities and emergency assistance. Arclight Global, the publishing arm of the CCBI in collaboration with Asian Trade Cooperation, produces value education books and school textbooks.

A top court has asked a Protestant diocese in southern India to appoint teachers irrespective of their caste, religious, and denominational backgrounds since their salaries are paid from the state exchequer.
The Madurai bench of the Madras High Court in Tamil Nadu state declared unconstitutional a list of prospective teachers prepared by the Tirunelveli diocese of the Church of South India (CSI) for appointment in schools managed by the diocese. The court said the list violated the principles of secularism. “When the salary is paid out of the state exchequer, the elementary principles of secularism demand that the appointment process is thrown open to all eligible candidates,” said Justice G R Swaminathan in his Aug. 8 order. A copy of the order was released to the media two days ago. “The appointment process as of today is patently discriminatory. To say that only a candidate of a particular religious denomination is entitled to apply for a post runs counter to constitutional morality,” said Swaminathan. The order came during the hearing of a petition filed by C Manohar Thangaraj, the treasurer of Tirunelveli Diocese. The petition accused the bishop of making unilateral appointments based on the diocesan priority list rather than inviting applications from eligible candidates. The court also stressed the need for transparency in the selection process, saying, ” Of course, all this can come to naught if the recruitment process is rigged and predetermined.” India’s constitution allows minority groups like Christians and Muslims to run educational institutions. The respective state governments pay the salaries for teachers in aided schools.
The Church in India runs more than 50,000 educational institutions, including schools and 400 colleges, six universities, and six medical schools. Catholic Church officials called the court order “a matter of concern.” A minority-run education institution has the right to appoint its staff from “the respective community on a priority basis,” noted Father Thankachan Jose, former national president of the All-India Association of Catholic Schools. Thankachan told UCA News on Aug. 26 that a minority education is bound to give priority to the community. “Provided there is no qualified or skilled candidate within, we may seek to appoint a candidate from outside,” the priest said. But “priority is given to a candidate from the community.” Father Maria Charles, secretary of the Catholic Bishops’ Council of Indian office for education, said Catholic schools do not restrict jobs only to Catholics or Christians. He told UCA News they “will take a call after consulting with our legal team.”

A delegation of Christian leaders has urged the governor of a northern Indian state to repeal a proposed law saying it can be misused to target religious mino-rities under the pretext of preventing fraudulent conversions. The Uttar Pradesh state government passed the bill restricting religious conversions on July 30. The northern state is ruled by the right-wing Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The United Christian Forum (UCF) delegation, in its Aug. 19 memorandum to Governor Anandiben Patel, pointed to “the broad and ambiguous language” in the proposed law, adding that it may “embolden individuals and groups to target religious minorities.” The governor is the consti-tutional head of the state who functions on the aid and advice of the council of ministers. To be-come a law, every bill passed by the state legislature must receive the governor’s assent. The eight-member UCF delegation said that the terms used in the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion (Amendment) Bill, 2024, like “force, fraud, and allurement,” are un-defined and vague. “For instance, any collective gathering of Chri-stians is demonized and portrayed as an attempt to allure people to Christianity,” it said. The memo-randum stressed that existing laws, such as the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conver-sion of Religion Act, 2021, as well as criminal and civil laws, already address the issue of con-versions by fraud, coercion, or force. The new Bill imposes dis-proportionately severe penalties, such as the provision of 20 years or life imprisonment if convicted for religious conversion. Earlier, the maximum punishment pro-vided for was 10 years.
All this results “in undue violation of the right to life and liberty,” it stated. The new Bill also permits any third person to register a first information report when the existing law requires that the victim or blood relatives give information or file a complaint in a conversion case.
The memorandum said researchers have documented how anti-conversion laws have been weaponized to target religious minorities, including Christians. Vigilante mobs, often supported by local police officials, brutalize Christians for holding house prayer meetings, leading to the registration of false cases, which linger for many years and result in growing harassment and legal costs.
The new provision allowing “any person” to complain “widens the door to accusations driven by personal, political, or communal biases, leading to a wave of violence and harassment against these [minority] communities,” the memorandum stated. UCF national convener A C Michael said the delegation urged the governor to “suspend” the new Bill in its current form. The Christian lay leader told UCA News that in its memorandum, the UCF recommended that the Uttar Pradesh government focus on initiatives that strengthen harmony and promote tolerance among different religious groups rather than causing tensions through punitive legislation. It further suggested public awareness campaigns to educate citizens about their constitutional rights and the importance of respecting diversity. It was also suggested that police personnel and judicial officers be trained to safeguard religious freedoms, handle complaints ethically, and conduct unbiased investigations. The UCF also urged setting up support systems for innocent people who are wrongfully accused and jailed in the form of psychological counseling and legal assistance to deal with the trauma and financial impact of such illegal actions.