National

Mixed reaction to Hindu scripture in India’s school syllabus

A Catholic priest and human rights activist from the western Indian state of Gujarat has welcomed the inclusion of a Hindu scripture, Bhagavad Gita, in the school syllabus but warned against growing majoritarianism. “The study of any and every religious or holy book needs to be welcomed all at all times. However, introducing only the […]

Protestant minister killed by outlawed Maoists in India

Christians are concerned for the security of the family of a Protestant minister who was brutally stabbed to death by outlawed Maoist rebels in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh. The bloodsoaked body of Pastor Yalam Shankar, who was in his fifties, was found in the Maoist-infested South Bastar forests in Bijapur district on March […]

Indian journalists demand halt to hatred against Muslims

Leading media figures have urged India’s top constitutional bodies “to step in and uphold their mandate” amid rising threats to religious minorities, especially Muslims. They issued a statement condemning the alarming rise in “open calls from various quarters for attacks on India’s religious minorities, especially Muslims” and said that “silence is not an option.” Senior […]

Pondicherry archbishop’s appointment: Dalits hoist black flag

Dalit Catholics in Tamil Nadu have pro-tested the appointment of a non-Dalit as an archbishop in the southern Indian state. The Dalit Christian Liberation Movement, which leads the protest, on March 20 hoisted a black flag in the Church of Our Lady of Fatima in Vrithachalam parish of Pondicherry-Cuddalore archdiocese. A day earlier, the Vatican […]

Indian pastor accused of converting tribal people

A Hindu organization has been joined by a Sikh group in demanding the arrest of a pastor for organizing faith-healing sessions to lure tribal people into Christianity in the eastern Indian state of Jharkhand. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) or World Hindu Council accused Pastor Ravi Singh and his wife of conducting a Changai Sabha (healing […]

Dalit woman is youngest mayor of India’s Chennai city

Priya Rajan, a Dalit woman, has become the youngest mayor of Chennai, the fourth-largest city in India with a population of around 10 million. Rajan, 28, a postgraduate in commerce, was sworn in on March 4 as the 49th mayor of the city. She is said to be a member of the Evangelical Church of India […]

Indian probe against Mother Teresa nuns falls apart

The much-publicized case of religious conversion against Missionaries of Charity (MC) nuns in India’s western state of Gujarat has come a cropper with the prosecution admitting there was no serious basis to proceed against them. The prosecution gave a written undertaking to a court in Vadorara city that it would not pursue the case any […]

Mulakkal verdict signals need for structural and systemic change

The verdict acquitting Bishop Franco Mulakkal in the much-awaited case of the sexual abuse of a religious sister has been disappointing to many of us, and has made us suspicious. “I write this for many reasons; first, because I have journeyed with this case from a distance; and because I feel the need for speaking […]

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

Goans oppose tourism project near 16th century basilica