North East Catholic Research Forum

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NECARF Meets for the First time since Inception

Current Updates | NE Brief | NECARF Rep |

Archbishop John Moolachira addressing the Conference

The North East Catholic Research Forum (NECARF) held its first ever physical meeting in Guwahati on August 20, 22 since formation in September 2020. The Conference was hosted at the Dob Bosco Institute of Management, Kharguli, on August 20, 2022, attended.....

FELIX CULPA – DÉJÀ VU

Opinion | Articles | Editorial Team |

To Cardinal Oswald Gracias CBCI President & Papal Advisor (diocesebombay@gmail.com) Abp Leopoldo Girelli Apostolic Nuncio to India (nuntius@apostolicnunciatureindia.com) Cardinal Luis Tagle Prefect Congretio pro Gentium Evangelizatione, Vatican.....

Execution of Pro-democracy Activists in Myanmar: Why Delhi is Unable to go Beyond Expressing Concern?

Opinion | Articles | Pamreihor Khashimwo |

India expressed ‘deep concern’ over the detention of top Myanmar and the military takeover in February 2021. Since then Myanmar’s position in the world has declined significantly. The military junta’s execution of four political activists on July 25, 2022.....

A Tribute to a Pioneer Nun

Opinion | Articles | Benjamin Chang |

Our family joined the Catholic Church in 1988, when Lt. Rev. Sr. Blessilia was serving as the Superior of Tuensang Convent. My mother was serious about our new-found faith. She was quick to pick up the prayers and songs. We had evening rosary service ever.....

Priests and Nuns: Are they Less Sociable?

Opinion | Articles | Editorial Team |

Joseph Le Dac Thang, SJ Humans are gregarious animals, which means they have a dire need to communicate with a certain community. And the religious are no exception. The peculiarities of the consecrated life mean men and women have to give up or limit so.....

Hundred Years of FMA Presence in Northern India Provinces

Opinion | Articles | Penny Rose Chinir |

The Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (Figlie di Maria Ausiliatrice = FMA) founded by St John Bosco with co-foundress St Maria Domenica Mazzarello at Mornese, Italy is also known as Salesian Sisters of St John Bosco or simply FMA. The FMA province of M.....

A brief History of St. Peter’s Church Kiphire Town

Opinion | Articles | Benjamin Chang |

A brief History of St. Peter’s Church Kiphire Town St. Peter Church marked its beginning on 18th Jan. 1972 with the visit of Late Rev. Fr. Castelino S.J and Late Rev. Fr. Edwin Goveas S.J, and later when Fr. Castelino S.J settled down here on 16th Feb .....

Dialogue, With Care

Opinion | Articles | John Dayal |

Dialogue, With Care My heart goes out to Bishop Thomas Dabre of Pune. An apology has been wrested out of him for his remarks at a public function which were carried by the local media. “The Christian Community accepts RSS ideology and principles. We n.....

Is Celibacy a Delicacy?

Opinion | Articles | Chhotebhai |

Is Celibacy a Delicacy? A delicacy is usually related to food, my favourite indulgence. It is different from the daily fare of dal-chawal or sabji-roti. For me a delicacy is something like succulent pork chops. Obviously one cannot eat that everyday. .....

Tuki Writes to CM Arunachal Pradesh on Buddhists objection to construction of a Church

Current Updates | NE Brief | NECARF Rep |

In a significant move, Nabam Tuki, former Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, wrote to Pema Khandu, Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, resolve the differences between Buddhist and Christian community of Tawang district, which erupted due to objections .....

Avail Early Bird Discount in Media Studies

Education | College | NECARF Rep |

Admission Notice

NISCORT, one of the Premier Media Colleges in the National Capital area, announces admission for several graduate and post-graduate level courses in Media studies. Interested students may visit www.niscort.com for details......

Hat-Trick

Opinion | Articles | Chhotebhai |

The just concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) would be fresh in people’s minds. Hence one cannot be faulted for presuming that this piece is about cricket! It isn’t. It’s not about red balls but about red hats, the red Berettas given to Cardinals. They a.....

Conversion, Colonizer and the People

Opinion | Articles | Victor Ferrao |

Conversion has come back to haunt us. How are we to understand the complex reality of conversion? Are we to simplify it by reducing it to spiritual conquests? Conversion viewed as a spiritual conquest is tainted by its political overtones. Our understan.....

Editorial

Thank you Kerala, for keeping the Spirit of India alive

The most notable bright spot of the 2026 assembly elections is clearly the manner in which voters in Kerala exercised their franchise; Not because they voted any particular party to power, but because they avoided voting along communal lines. The victorie.....

Some Accountability for Social Media platforms

In March, a Los Angeles court hearing a petition filed by a 20-year-old woman, Kaley, who was a minor at the time of filing the case, held Meta and Google guilty of coming up with attention-grabbing applications, resulting in minor addiction to YouTube an.....

Sanju Samson's Silent Prayer was the Loudest Thanks giving

In a country where cricket is not just a game but considered next only to religion, a spectacle unfolded on March 1 inside the mammoth and iconic Eden Gardens cricket stadium in Kolkata, where the Indian and West Indies teams played the last of the Super.....

Stooping Beyond a Limit

When Himanta Biswa Sarma exited his parent party, the Indian National Congress, in 2015 and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party, not too many eyebrows were raised since such leapfrogging from one political party to the other was nothing new in Indian politi.....

The Culture of othering is an unhealthy trend

A German Lutheran pastor, Martin Niemöller, was against the Communist ideology and also against Semitism. His distaste for them made him a natural ally and supporter of Rudolf Hitler. When Hitler ultimately assumed power and insisted on the supremacy of t.....

Persecutions in the land of Tagore, Vivekananda, and Gandhi

India is fortunate to have given birth to three outstanding sons, Rabindranath Tagore, Swami Vivekananda, and Mahatma Gandhi, who inspired generations not only in India but across the world. Apart from their liberal thinking, their thoughts on religious f.....

The determination was written on every Indian player’s face

On the intervening night of November 2nd and 3rd, the Indian women’s cricket team created history by winning the ICC Women’s World Cup for the first time at the DY Patil stadium in Navi Mumbai. They defeated South Africa, a team dubbed by many cricketing.....

Zubeen Garg unites people even in his death

Many ordinary people who are not connected to music and art might not have even heard of Zubeen Garg, despite being an iconic artist and a person who cared for others. However, after his unfortunate and untimely demise on September 19, 2025, social media.....

How serious are educational Institutions about the mental health of young people?

During the monsoon session of the Parliament in July 2025, Union Minister of State for Education Sukanta Majumdar informed the house that student suicide cases accounted for 7.6 per cent of all suicide cases reported across India in 2022, showing a slight.....

Religious Persecutions in the Land of Vivekananda and Gandhi

The dictionary meaning of ‘persecution’ reads as ‘unfair or cruel treatment based on race, religion, or political belief’. Therefore, persecution can occur through racial discrimination or political exploitation and is not necessarily limited to the relig.....

From a Murderer to a Pilgrim of Faith

Prior to June 27, 2025, not many people in this country and elsewhere would have heard of Chengu@Sudharsan@Chandu Hansda, who at the age of 13 turned into a murderer when he joined the mob that brutally burnt alive an Australian missionary, Graham Stewart.....

Ominous Signs and the Catholic response

India is a country that boasts staggering diversity—a colourful mix few in the world have the privilege of sharing. Since independence and the enactment of the constitution, freedom, liberty, and equality before the law has always been our treasured right.....

Previous Articles

Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez’s address

Current Updates | Editorial Pick | Editorial team

Synodality: Why No, and Why Yes Some have hoped that our new pope would ease up a little on this matter of synodality. Instead, Pope Leo has expressed a strong desire to continue along the path of synodality. For example: “Synodality becomes a mindset, .....

NECARF Meets for the First time since Inception

Current Updates | NE Brief | NECARF Rep

The North East Catholic Research Forum (NECARF) held its first ever physical meeting in Guwahati on August 20, 22 since formation in September 2020. The Conference was hosted at the Dob Bosco Institute of Management, Kharguli, on August 20, 2022, attended.....

NECARF Member Takes Charge as India's Ambassador to Ethiopia

Current Updates | NE Brief | NECARF Rep

Robert Shetkintong, an Indian Foreign Service (IFS) Officer of 2001 batch, has been appointed India's Ambassador to the Republic of Ethiopia, as per official communiqué issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on August 18, 2020. He is presently p.....

Persecution peaks amid impunity in pandemic-era India

Opinion | Articles | John Dayal

The absolute sense of impunity generated in the administrative apparatus of India by the pandemic lockdowns, and the consequent absence of civil society on the streets and in the courts, has aggravated targeted hate and violence against Christians by non-.....

Battle of Imphal: The Forgotten Chapter of Manipur’s History

Opinion | Articles | Irene Salam

In school days, we have studied something about World War-I and World War-II. But did this include the Battle of Imphal which was the fiercest Battle of World War-II fought in Imphal and Kohima. Are we aware of the reasons why this battle was fought in Ma.....

The validity of Catholic Baptism

Opinion | Articles | Benjamin Chang

The Catholic Church has always understood baptism differently. It teaches that baptism is a sacrament that accomplishes several things, the first of which is the remission of sin, both original sin and actual sin—only original sin in the case of infants a.....

St. Xavier’s University all set to be established in Meghalaya

Current Updates | NE Brief | NECARF Rep

With the approval of the St Xavier’s University Bill, 2020 by the Cabinet of Meghalaya Government on November 5, 2020, the Jesuits are all set to establish a University in the state of Meghalaya. The St. Xavier’s University, which would be managed by the .....

"Celebrating 50 Years of Fr. Niphot’s Walk with Indigenous Wisdom"

Opinion | Articles | James Pochury

For five decades, Fr. Niphot Thianwihan of Chiang Mai, Thailand, has walked side by side with the Indigenous Karen people, learning and living their profound wisdom. His journey resonates deeply with the realities of the tribes and Indigenous peoples of N.....

Have Religions become the opium of the people?

Opinion | Articles | M L Satyan

KJ Yesudas has been a legend in the field of music. We can never forget his mesmerising voice. One of his prophetic songs in Malayalam was titled: Manushyan Mathangale Srishtichu. He sang this song on various platforms. This song is very thought-provoking.....

Save Democracy to ensure Human Rights

Opinion | Articles | Veronica Khangchian

“The rights of every man are diminished when the rights of one man are threatened.”(John F. Kennedy) Year after year we observe Human Rights day on December 10. But the question is, how far do we celebrate it? The universal declaration of Human right.....

Who is Responsible for Human Disasters?

Opinion | Articles | M L Satyan

Soon after the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad we have witnessed mixed feelings expressed by public – shock, sadness, anxiety, fear, suspicion and anger. Also, various theories are evolving like bird-hit, technical fault, high temperature, pilot’s mist.....

Education

Don Bosco University Assam

University | NECARF Rep |

Where Quest for Excellence is a Mission

In search of Excellence.....

In the Serene Crest of Green Chandel

School | NECARF Rep |

St. Peter's Higher Secondary School

In the serene crest of Chandel stands St. Peter's Higher School where every hidden qualities of students is turned into excelence.....

Job Fair in Don Bosco Kohima

College | NECARF Rep |

Job Fair Notice

For kind attention of young boys and girls who are interested in getting recruited in different Comnpaies......

Step in to the World of Journalism and Mass Media

College | NECARF Rep |

Niscort Media College

For those who aspire for the world of Mass media.....

Avail Early Bird Discount in Media Studies

College | NECARF Rep |

Admission Notice

NISCORT, one of the Premier Media Colleges in the National Capital area, announces admission for several graduate and post-graduate level courses in Media studies. Interested students may visit www.niscort.com for details......

NISCORT Announces three different courses in Journalism and Mass Communication

College | NECARF Rep |

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For those Interested in Journalism studies, the above affordable courses comes as a boon.....

Opinion

Communications must be Human

Articles | Cedric Prakash |

The Catholic Church observed the 60th World Day of Social Communications on 17 May 2025. In his first message for this significant day, Pope Leo XIV focussed on the need and importance of 'Preserving Human Voices and Faces'. The message which was written .....

Amazing (F)acts

Articles | Chhotebhai |

During Eastertide, till the Ascension, the daily Mass readings are invariably taken from the Acts of the Apostles. Some of these acts are amazing. This is how biblical scholars describe this compilation. It is usually attributed to Luke, a non-Jewish S.....

Poverty and Caste: Two Unseen Weights Crushing Young Lives

Articles | John Dayal |

Rohith Vemula was a 26-year-old Dalit PhD scholar at the University of Hyderabad whose suicide on January 17, 2016, sparked national protests against caste discrimination in Indian academia amidst demands for the resignation of the then Human Resources mi.....

A Clarion Call for Repeal of APFRA 1978

Articles | Yumri Taipodia |

In every society, there comes a moment when laws must be re-examined—not out of rebellion, but out of responsibility. A moment when people pause and ask whether the legal frameworks that once seemed necessary still serve justice, freedom, and human dignit.....

From Prosperity to Austerity

Articles | Chhotebhai |

Not so long ago we were talking of a trillion dollar and the fastest growing economy; about Amritkal and achche din. Our vishwaguru had growing locks and global ambitions. Then the bubble burst on 28th February when Dada Donald and Bibi Netanyahu launc.....

Thank you Kerala, for keeping the Spirit of India alive

Editorial | John S. Shilshi |

The most notable bright spot of the 2026 assembly elections is clearly the manner in which voters in Kerala exercised their franchise; Not because they voted any particular party to power, but because they avoided voting along communal lines. The victorie.....

Current Updates

History and Spread of Christianity in Arunachal Pradesh

Editorial Pick | Editorial team |

Map of Arunachal Pradesh

• Home • About Us • Education • Opinion • Current Updates • Reports • Photo Gallery • Archives • Contributors • Contact Us History and Spread of Christianity in Arunachal Pradesh **//** Easter: The Beginning of a New Story **//.....

ICF Writes to the President of India

Editorial Pick | Editorial team |

Hon’ble Smt Draupadi Murmu, PRESIDENT OF INDIA Rashtrapati Bhawan New Delhi presidentofindia@rb.nic.in 31st December 2025 Respected Rashtrapatiji, Sub: Christmas attacks on Christians Namaskar! I respectfully place before you some of the.....

Attacks aginst Christians increased by 500% since 2014: Rights Groups

Editorial Pick | Editorial team |

Attacks Against Christians Increased by 500% Since 2014: Rights Groups New Delhi: On November 4, Christian rights activists assembled at the Press Club of India to release a report about an alarming and sustained annual surge in incidents of violence a.....

An MSMHC Nun from Mizoram did the North East Proud

NE Brief | NECARF Rep |

Sr Rose Paite

October 14, 2025: Sr Rose Paite, an MSMHC nun from Mizoram, received the prestigious National Award from the Catholic Mental Health Ministry (CMHM) at the World Mental Health Day Conference in Kerala. The prestigious award was handed over to the recipie.....

Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez’s address

Editorial Pick | Editorial team |

Synodality: Why No, and Why Yes Some have hoped that our new pope would ease up a little on this matter of synodality. Instead, Pope Leo has expressed a strong desire to continue along the path of synodality. For example: “Synodality becomes a mindset, .....

North East Catholic Community of Delhi puts up a Glittering show

NE Brief | NECARF Rep |

Mr Lalduhoma and Archbishop Anil J T Couto, with other dignataries

The North East Catholic Committee of Delhi (NECCOD) accorded a warm welcome to their new members who had joined them in the Delhi NCR region with spiritual and a social gathering worthy of the colours mix of the region they come from. This was the 33rd oc.....

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