Christians remain cautious about Modi

Christians remain cautious about Modi
To mark the first anniversary of his government, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 26 declared the world is “optimistic about India and is enthusiastic about exploring the opportunities India has to offer.” To which one leader of India’s churches replied: “We have nothing to celebrate. Rather, we have . . . Read More

‘Token’ arrests frustrate Indian bishop

An Indian bishop has accused police of ‘tokenism’ after they swiftly released on bail six suspects allegedly caught on camera vandalising a cathedral in central India on March 20. “Such kind of tokenism from police [will] not help bring in confidence among beleaguered Christians,” said Bishop Gerald Almeida. The men were . . . Read More

India’s Modi breaks silence on protecting minorities, but urged to ‘walk the talk’

India’s Modi breaks silence on protecting minorities, but urged to ‘walk the talk’
Indian Prime Minister Modi shakes hand wtih Cardinal Alencherry while holding a memento of twin saintsWorld Watch Monitor   Critics of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi were ‘pleasantly surprised’ by his unequivocal assertion of the right to freedom of religion while addressing a major church event in New Delhi on . . . Read More

Obama addresses persecution during India visit

President Obama addressed India’s treatment of minority faiths during his final speech on January 27 after a three-day-long visit to the country. His comments were widely interpreted as a message to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), whose rise to power emboldened activists to declare India . . . Read More

2014: A year of rising hostility toward Christians

2014: A year of rising hostility toward Christians
While the world’s eyes were riveted to Syria and Iraq in 2014, life for Christians worsened even more profoundly in Africa, according to an annual report on religious freedom. The situation deteriorated most rapidly in Sub-Saharan Africa, in countries where Islamic extremism is the main source of pressure upon Christians, . . . Read More

India Hindu leaders turn up ‘reconversion’ rhetoric

India Hindu leaders turn up ‘reconversion’ rhetoric
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat in JammuVishal Dutta / Flickr / Creative Commons   Ignoring paralyzing opposition in Parliament and private expressions of exasperation from their own political leader, the top leaders of India’s fundamentalist Hindu movement have mounted a vigorous defense of a campaign to bring Christian converts back to . . . Read More

Christmas 2014 ‘evokes not joy but fears’ for India’s Christians

Christmas 2014 ‘evokes not joy but fears’ for India’s Christians
Christmas is an occasion mostly associated with joy and celebration. But since the start of the holiday season, India’s minority religious groups of Christians and Muslims have been especially under pressure. The Indian Parliament has hardly functioned since the start of December because several opposition lawmakers have been protesting a . . . Read More

Indian Christian man forced to separate from Hindu wife by right-wing activists

Indian Christian man forced to separate from Hindu wife by right-wing activists
Narendra Modi, then chief minister of Gujarat state, at a BJP rally in 2009.Flickr / Al Jazeera English / Creative Commons   An Indian couple who married Sept. 26 had their marriage annulled five days later by police under pressure from Hindu nationalists. The couple, Joseph Pawar and Ayushi Wani, were . . . Read More