Hundreds of people have been injured at a gathering of Christians preparing to celebrate Christmas. There are even some unconfirmed reports of deaths.
The area is isolated, perhaps not allow witnesses and the police refuse to respond to calls. The violence took place in the village of Sindhwaram, in Chhattisgarh: from 2.00 AM night until the morning, a crowd of drunk and armed people attacked a tent where groups of Christians who had been celebrating the beginning of the Advent season in preparation for Christmas had gone to sleep the previous day. The gathering was also attended by faithful from other villages around. The village members have sealed off the area and are not allowing anyone to enter or take photos or videos.
Activist Arun Pannalal, president of the Chhattisgarh Christian Forum, managed to get in touch with the Gajral police station only morning at 6 am. The police denied all violence. The victims are being housed in the police station. Members of the Chhattisgarh Christian Forum say that as soon as they heard of the attack, they immediately phoned the police, but the phone lines were cut off from 2am until this morning.
For the past two years Arun Pannalal has been appealing to the Chief Minister of the State and the Minister of the Interior, “but my requests – he tells AsiaNews – have not been taken seriously. The entire Bastar region suffers from premeditated attacks targeting Christains. They are attacks related to a planned conspiracy. The government should act immediately ordering an in-depth investigation into this violence.”
–ASIANNEWS

Cardinal George Alencherry has formed a commission to frame guidelines for interfaith marriages following a controversy over a retired bishop solemnizing such a marriage between a Christian bride and a Muslim groom in a church in India’s Kerala State.
Cardinal Alencherry, the head of the Eastern-rite Syro-Malabar Church based in southern India, “wants to clear the confusion among the faithful over interreligious marriages and constituted a commission of canon law experts to prepare the guidelines to be followed in interreligious marriages in churches,” said Father Alax Onampally, secretary of the church’s media commission. Card. Alencherry, the president of the Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council, also sought a separate report from Archbishop Antony Kariyil of Ernakulam-Angamali Arch-diocese, where the controversial marriage was solemnized.
On Nov. 9, Bishop Mathew Vaniyakizhakkel of Satna in the central State of Madhya Pradesh, blessed the marriage between the Catholic bride and Muslim groom at Kadavanthra St Joseph Church in Ernakulam-Angamali Archdiocese. Archbishop Kariyil’s probe will investigate if the parish priest obtained permission from the local bishop to solemnize the marriage in church.

An elderly Jesuit priest struggling in an Indian jail with ill health says he still finds happiness in listening to the stories of other inmates and credits his congregation for the training that helped him cope with such a difficult situation. Father Stan Swamy, 84, has been in Taloja Central Jail in Mumbai, capital of Maharashtra in western India, since Oct. 9 following his arrest on charges of sedition and links with outlawed Maoist rebels.
The priest is suffering from Parkinson’s disease, a hernia and age-related ailments and is unable to eat and drink without help from other prisoners.
Inmates help him to bathe, wash his clothes and do other daily chores on account of his age and ill health. “Listening to the life narratives of the poor prisoners is my joy in Taloja prison. I see God in their pains and smiles,” Father Swamy told one of his priest colleagues in a telephone call. “Now, I am using a baby-sipper mug, which I purchased through the prison hospital. I have communicated this need to our lawyers. I am still awaiting to receive the sipper-tumbler,” Father Swamy said.
The priest maintains an attitude of contentment even in his struggle and gives credit to his Jesuit training and close to 50 years of working with under privileged indigenous and Dalit former untouchable people.
“My needs are limited. The adivasis [indigenous people] and the Society of Jesus have taught me to lead a simple life,” he said.

Some 100 Christians have returned to their villages in India’s Chhattisgarh State following a court order, almost two months after they were attacked and driven out of their homes.
The state High Court in Bilaspur ordered the Kondagaon district administration to facilitate the safe return of the displaced Christians from three villages and to ensure their protection.
“We have returned to our villages as the court has ordered our protection,” Shiv Ram, one of the petitioners to the court, told UCA News on Nov. 17.
Ram said all 66 Christians from 10 families driven out of his Kakrabeda village have returned to the village. Some 30 Christians from six families, who fled from two other villages, also have returned, he said.
A mob of suspected Hindu right-wing activists attacked 16 houses in three villages in the state’s Bastar region on Sept. 22 and 23. The attack came after Christians refused a demand to abandon their faith in Jesus Christ.
They also attacked Christians, including women and children, in front of the police, forcing them to escape to a nearby forest to save their lives.
Following the Nov. 8 court order, the administration has set up a police check post and posted 12 police officers to ensure the Christians’ safety.

A new television serial on Jesus in Hindi is set to begin next month on TV. The story for the serial entitled “Yeshu” that deals with Jesus’ life story, is done by Utkarsh Naithani, an actor, flute player, and writer based on Divine Word missionary Father John Paul Herman’s research. “First of all, let me tell you that I the research scholar and resource person for this serial in Hindi “Yeshu,” Fr Herman, a media professional, told Matters India. He has been working on it since March 4 as the producer and director called him to Mumbai for the first meeting. “Lockdown was a great opportunity for me to sit down and work on it. Since then I am on it all the time,” said Father Herman, director of media commission, Catholic Diocese of Jaipur, Rajasthan (Western India). TV presents for the first time in Hindi General Entertainment Channels, the untold, unheard story of “Yeshu,” produced by Arvind Babbal Productions Pvt Ltd.