The high court in India’s Chhattisgarh State has ruled that the tribal status of a person will not alter if they change their religion to Christianity, stressing they can still enjoy state concessions aimed at improving the life of indigenous people.

The ruling was handed down as the court dismissed an election petition against Amit Jogi, the son of former state chief minister Ajit Jogi. The petition was put forward by Sameera Paikara, a member of the pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Amit Jogi won a seat reserved for tribal candi-dates in the 2013 state elections, but his victory was challenged by Paikara who took it to court.

Paikara argued Jogi could no longer claim tribal rights because his family converted to Christianity. “It can be presumed that even if the respondent adopted Christianity, his right of status of the Kanwar tribe cannot be taken away,” the court ruled on Feb. 1.

Hard-line Hindu groups — with BJP backing — have opposed Christians converted from tribal communities enjoying government benefits such as the reservation of seats in elected bodies, educational institutions and government jobs.

Members of the Yuva Sena, the youth wing of the Shiv Sena, a hard-line Hindu party, vandalised a Catholic School in Kolhapur, Maharashtra.

The Holy Cross High School for girls, in Nagala Park, is run by Holy Cross Sisters. The school principal reports that the pupils who, along with the teachers were witnesses to the attack, are in a state of shock.

The vandalism “is shocking in itself but is also indicative of the more strident confrontation that fundamentalist groups plan for religious minorities in the run up to the general elections,” said John Dayal, general secretary of the All India Christian Council. The attack by the “youth wing of the Shiv Sena, which is an ally of the ruling BJP, is a matter of grave concern,” he told AsiaNews.

The incident took place on January 22 around 1.30 pm (local time), during class time. School principal Sr Bharati told Indian Catholic Matters that about 20 activists forced their way into the school shouting slogans against the school management. They ransacked the office, breaking windows and damaging religious items, including the cross and the statue of Our Lady.

“They complained about the fees and started abusing me and the staff,” Sr Bharati said. “When I asked them to stay calm and offered to discuss the issue peacefully, they started breaking the office furniture and the glass windows.”

In the evening a complaint was filed with the police. Kolhapur Superintendent of Police Abhinav Deshmukh said that two people were arrested whilst another 18 are on the run. The police also deployed some agents to protect the school, which is closed for now.

“Ours is a school for girls,” Sr Bharati explained. “The attack was so sudden and heinous, that the students from the lower classes were trembling with fear and are still in the state of shock. It was a traumatic situation and we could do nothing except watch the act of vandalism.”

The Hindu Jagran Manch, a Hindu right-wing group, claimed that 98 Christians belonging to 23 tribal families were “reconverted” to Hinduism in Tripura.

The people, mostly tea garden workers hailing from Bihar and Jharkhand, had been converted to Christianity in 2010, Tripura unit president of the Hindu Jagran Manch Uttam Dey said.

“This is like a return of lost family members to their own home. They were Hindus, but were lured into Christianity after the Sonamukhi tea garden in Unakoti district, where they were working, was closed in 2010,” Dey told reporters. He said most of converted persons belong to Orao and Munda tribal communities.

The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) was also associated with the reconversion programme that took place here in Kailashahar district, around 180 km from State capital Agartala, on Jan 20.

VHP Unakoti district secretary Madan Mohan Goswami said it was ‘Ghar Vapsi’ for the people.

Birsa Munda, one of the reconverted, claimed that they were lured towards Christianity but later treated badly by those who had convinced them to convert.

Interior Minister Rajnath Singh expressed concern over mass conversions in the country and called for a national debate on the issue. Speaking at a meeting organized by Rashtriya Isai Mahasangh, a Christian group, he clarified that mass conversions must be controlled.

In the meeting, held in New Delhi on January 15, the minister said he supported the freedom to follow any religion, but to have the opinion that a debate is necessary as mass conversions are a matter of concern for any country. “If someone turns alone to a religion, there should be no objections, but mass conversions are a matter of concern for any country. If you are Hindu, be Hindu, if Muslim be Muslim, if Christian be Christian. Why – he asked – do you want to convert the whole world?”

As for the government, he said, there will be no discrimination against anyone. “In my life, I have never discriminated against caste, creed and religion. Whether we get less votes, whether we form the government or not, whether we win or lose, we will never discriminate between people. This is what our Prime Minister thinks.” Singh, he added, can not be in power and govern without love. “You can only govern with love, there is no other way.” (see Focus)

A retired judge from India’s Supreme Court says the upcoming Vatican summit on clerical abuse is “very important” and the Catholic Church has an obligation to hold a “correct moral perspective.”

Justice Kurian Joseph, who is Catholic, spoke to Crux in Mumbai on Jan. 17.

Pope Francis has called the heads of all the bishops’ conferences around the world to the Feb. 21-24 gathering, the first such global meeting on abuse.

“This summit is very important, from a legal and human rights perspective, but also from the moral perspective,” Joseph said.

“The Catholic Church must be recognized for her moral authority and integrity and this anti-abuse summit will play a fundamental role in the Catholic Church’s moral authority,” he continued.

“The Catholic Church has an obligation to instruct the world on correct moral perspective on these issues,” the retired judge said.

Joseph said the government and civil society have their own role to play in tackling abuse, but the Church has the duty to address the “moral perspective” of the issue. Mumbai’s archbishop, Cardinal Oswald Gracias, is a member of the organizing committee for the summit.

Artists in Chennai are unhappy that Loyola College has apologised for display of satirical paintings on contemporary issues on campus. On January 21, the Catholic minority institution now at the centre of a controversy over art works put up by a cultural group not from the college had apologised after right wing Hindu groups alleged that some of the paintings hurt Hindu sentiments.

“We acknowledge our lapse and apologise for insurmountable hurt. The venue for a cultural event was misused. We’ve immediately removed the exhibits. We are pained our pluralistic campus was used for derogative exhibits. We do not advocate anything tantamount to peace and tranquility of society,” the college said in a statement.

Cartoonist Bala, who was arrested in 2017 for a caricature of Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palani swami and Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam, says stifling freedom of expression has become the norm in Tamil Nadu.

“The college should not have apologised. It was not their work in the first place. I find nothing wrong with those paintings. It’s an expression of a cartoonist’s view. Whether the idea is right or wrong an artist should have the right to express,” he said.

Recently, Lois Sophia, a woman researcher was arrested for criticising the state BJP chief Tamilisai Soundararajan.

The ruling AIADMK had also banned Kamal Haasan’s certified film Vishwaroopam till legal intervention.

Similarly, Actor Vijay’s films Mersel and Sarkar too faced heat from BJP and AIADMK for taking on Centre’s GST and state’s freebies.

Hit by controversies, including sexual abuse involving priests, the Kerala-based Syro-Malabar Catholic Church has decided to set up internal committees at the diocesan level to create a “safe environment” for all, including children and vulnerable adults.

The decision to implement the “Safe Environment Policy” was taken at the Synod of the Syro-Malabar Archiespicoal Church being held here.

This policy is being  implemented to ensure safety and security for all, especially children and vulnerable adults, a Church official said.

Claiming that the safety and security for all have already been ensured in parishes, diocese, religious congregations and institutions of the Syro-Malabar Church, the official said that the implementation of new “Safe Environment Policy” would further strengthen it.

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has announced that the State government would increase the financial aid to the Christians for the Jerusalem pilgrimage from Rs 40,000 to Rs 75,000. He also announced Rs 1.5 crore financial aid to the CSI St Pauls Basilica Church known as CSI Church located near the State Guest House. Stating that the church is very beautiful, he announced that the government would extend support for completion of works.

Chandrababu Naidu joyfully participated in the Christmas celebrations at the CSI Church. He recited some verses and took part in the cake cutting function.

He announced that the State government would increase the financial assistance from Rs 40,000 to Rs 75,000 to the Christians proceeding to Jerusalem pilgrimage. He said a large number of Christians go to Jerusalem to see the birth place of Jesus Christ.

He praised the services of Christian missionaries in the fields of education and health. He said many popular persons in Krishna and Guntur districts have studied in the educational institutions run by missionaries. He recalled that TDP founder N T Rama Rao studied in Andhra Christian College in Guntur.