The nuns of the Provincial House of the Congregation of the Mother of Carmel (CMC) providing accomodation to the transgenders employed by Kochi Metro who were facing homelessness.

In one of the first major initiatives to employ transgen-ders, the Kochi Metro Rail Ltd (KMRL) hired 23 trans employees through a Kerala government poverty eradication programme aimed at women called Kudumbasree. However, no one was willing to provide the transgenders accommo-dation, and many of them were forced to skip work.

The KMRL has now been able to solve the problem, with the commitment from the CMC nuns. Sister Pavithra of CMC confirmed to Catch that the Congregation will provide “shelter to the transgenders working in KMRL.”

The nuns got the letter from Kochi Metro and are yet to figure the logistics. “They haven’t yet told us the number of people who want to reside. May be 12-13,” she said.

Protestors waved flags and chanted as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived at the White House on June 26 for a meeting with President Donald Trump.

“We’re here basically to raise awareness of the human rights violations that are happening with India,” Jatinder Grewal, director of Sikhs for Justice told CBN News.

The protestors alleged that under Modi’s rule, conditions for Sikhs, Christians and other religious minorities have grown difficult.

“When Modi came into power in 2014 he promised the Christians and other minorities that he would allow freedom of religion, he lied,” declared Pastor Rob Rotola, who also protested outside the White House.

“The only people that have favored status in India is not all people; it’s the Hindu nationalist,” he said. “It’s the far extremist party that tends to violence. And as these groups have ramped up the violence, the police state and the government looks the other way, and is allowing it to happen.”

“I am here to speak for the Indian church,” said Bishop John Lutembeka, a missionary in India, “the Indians who are being persecuted by Prime Minister Modi, by a group of radical Hindus.”

A Mumbai-based NGO on June 27 urged the United Nations to declare August 26, the birth anniversary of St Mother Teresa, International Compassion Day. In a state-ment, Harmony Foundation President Abraham Mathai said compassion is the need of the hour and what better way to have the world observe Inter-national Day of Compassion than by celebrating it on the birth anniversary of Mother Teresa, “whose life symbolised compassion and hope.”

“The Harmony Foundation has decided to celebrate August 26 as the International Day of Compassion to commemorate Mother Teresa’s work among the poorest, hungry, homeless, crippled, lepers and the most unwanted people of society shunned by all. We have written to the UN to likewise declare the day in honour of her selfless services,” Mathai said.