North East Catholic Research Forum

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Fourth Largest Economy in the world v/s Infrastructure and Citizen’ Happiness

Opinion | Articles | Basil A. D'Cunha |

Fourth Largest Economy in the world v/s Infrastructure and Citizen’ happiness Our Honorable Prime Minister has stated that in the current year 2025, India stands as the world’s fourth-largest economy in the world. It places us behind only the United.....

A Tribute to Lt. Rev Sr. Toms Maria SABS (1947–2025)

Opinion | Articles | Benjamin Chang |

Rev Sr. Toms Maria with Rev Fr Benjamin Chang and others

“Well done, good and faithful servants… enter into the joy of your Master.” – (Mt. 25:23) The Diocese of Kohima mourns the passing of Rev. Sr. Toms Maria SABS, who was called to her eternal reward on 15th August 2025, at the age of 78. A member of the .....

Need for Serious Rethinking on Formation Norms

Opinion | Articles | M L Satyan |

In the wake of frequent ‘suicide by priests’ there have been quite many articles written answering to questions like why does it happen? How does it happen? What could be the motive? What/Who is to be blamed? What should be done? etc. Based on my experien.....

The Trinity is not a Mystery

Opinion | Articles | Chhotebhai |

This paper has an audacious title, considering the oft repeated experience of St Augustine on the seashore, and bearing in mind that our present Pope Leo is a follower of that same spirituality. To refresh one’s memory, St Augustine of Hippo was walkin.....

Be Awake! Be Aware! Act now !

Opinion | Articles | Cedric Prakash |

It is happening with frightening regularity: The bashing of Christians, primarily in States run by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). A meticulous and well-orchestrated campaign to denigrate and demonise the Christians. Their design is devious: a clear met.....

Youth- A Time to Hurry.

Opinion | Articles | Capt. Eddie Viegas |

One day a little Black Lad was watching a balloon vendor. The little boy saw that the vendor had balloons of all colours. As each balloon was filled with gas, the balloons would rise high into the air. There were balloons of white, green, blue, red, yello.....

After Namo, What?

Opinion | Articles | Chhotebhai |

When Nehru was the Prime Minister of India Welles Hagen wrote a book in 1963, “After Nehru, Who?” When Rajiv Gandhi was Prime Minister a similar sentiment emerged, the TINA factor. There is no alternative. History bears testimony that both Nehru and Rajiv.....

Fr. Stan Swamy SJ: Person, Pilgrim, Prophet

Opinion | Articles | Cedric Prakash |

When Fr Stan Swamy died on 5 July 2021, the world of truth and justice was shocked and saddened. Those who belonged to this group were convinced, that his death was not a natural one, but a pre-mediated institutional murder. Yes, he was killed – because t.....

The Church Cannot Heal what it Refuses to Hear

Opinion | Articles | James Pochury |

I often ask myself: why does the liturgy fail to move me? The sacraments, the Eucharist—so central to Catholic teaching—feel, at best, like rituals observed from afar, never truly touching the depths of my being. I’ve sat through Masses hoping for a word,.....

Student Suicides - A Silent Epidemic

Opinion | Articles | M L Satyan |

A recent article with the headline: “Suicide of Ashir Nanda in Kerala: A Wake-Up Call for Schools” by Fr Suresh Mathew OFM Cap is an eye-opener. In his article he mentions that the recent suicide of 14-year-old Ashir Nanda, a Class 9 student at St. Do.....

The Holy Eucharist is Central to the Catholic Faith

Opinion | People's Edit | G.L. Khing |

One of the most fundamental teachings and practices of the Catholic Church is the Holy Eucharist. The Church derives its life from the Eucharist. The Eucharist is the “source and summit” of the Catholic faith because it is the sacrament in which Jesus giv.....

Radical Changes by Pope Leo-XIV

Opinion | Articles | M L Satyan |

I watched a very inspirational and thought-provoking video on Pope Leo. The narrator mentions that the new Pope, soon after assuming the office of papacy, has made radical changes in the Catholic Church that are sending shock waves to the Catholics, espec.....

Emergency, Surrogacy, Suffocation

Opinion | Articles | Chhotebhai |

Trains and aircraft have emergency exits. Not so with politics. I vividly recall this day 50 years ago. I was attending a Youth Animators’ Training Programme in Allahabad, the epicentre of the Emergency earthquake. It was promulgated by Prime Minister Ind.....

NEIRBC Gets a new Education Commission Team

Current Updates | Editorial Pick | Editorial team |

Guwahati, June 25, 2025 – The Northeast Bishops Council’s Commission for Education has appointed a new leadership team, with Fr. Dr. Paul Pudussery, a Holy Cross priest, taking the helm. This transition marks the third leadership handover since the commis.....

Editorial

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.....

The New Pope and His Message

This time, 1.39 billion Catholics across the globe were fortunate to see the white smoke come out of the Sistine Chapel chimney on the second day as Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected by the cardinal conclave in the fourth round of voting, one less than .....

The Pope didn’t Sulk or Shun

The Vatican News released a video of Pope Francis extending Easter greetings to a multitude of people at St. Peter’s Square in Rome, which was one day before his final journey to the eternal world. A close look at that video reveals that the Holy Father w.....

The CBCI blinks yet again

The Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI), regarded as a father figure by an estimated 23 million Catholics in this country, has yet again shown lack of wisdom while taking decision on crucial matters. While the organization may like to downplay som.....

Persecution as an Opportunity

The history of the church is replete with stories of persecution; the crucifixion of Christ itself being the greatest of all. Rome, where the Vatican, the supreme seat of the Pontiff, stands today, in fact was one of the foremost places where Christian pe.....

Weaving a Christian Relationship

His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama, in his book, Toward A True Kinship of Faith, wrote, “I have boundless respect for my Buddhist faith, but to see it within the context of its brother and sister religions has afforded me a vision of the grandeur and exten.....

We hope the Church Hierarchy is listening

According to the media report, the son of a pastor, Ramesh Baghel, has been prevented from burying the dead body of his late father in the village cemetery because some Hindutva activists from his village did not allow the burial to take place. He appeale.....

Previous Articles

‘Transitus’ of Francis: End of an Era and a Great Legacy Pope Francis (1936-2025)

Opinion | Articles | George Plathottam

The world mourns for Pope Francis at his ‘transitus’, to use a word that is both rich in meaning and familiar to the Church and the Franciscan spiritual tradition to describe one’s passing. His death, no doubt, is the end of a remarkable era. He leaves b.....

Anti-Conversion Laws: Some Thoughts and Suggestions

Opinion | Articles | Isaac Harold Gomes

Of late various church journals have been dwelling on Anti-Conversion Laws (currently prevalent in 12 Indian states) in view of the latest hearing in the Supreme Court of India on 16 September 2025, after a hiatus of two and a half years. It must be poi.....

Challenges for Catholic Education Mission in Asia

Opinion | Articles | Ben Joseph

The world’s accumulated human capital, which creates the wealth of nations, is facing an existential crisis and generational catastrophe. Of the 1.6 billion students affected in more than 190 countries when the pandemic crisis unfolded, 24 million are set.....

Dogs & Gods of War

Opinion | Articles | Chhotebhai

This is an alarmist headline. It is meant to be. It is inspired in part by the novel “Dogs of War” written 70 years ago by Fredrick Forsythe. But this article is not fiction, for truth is stranger than fiction. Polytheist religions have Gods of War. M.....

APCA felicitated Bishops of North East Region

Current Updates | NE Brief | NECARF Rep

The Arunachal Pradesh Catholic Association (APCA) hosted an impressive reception in honour of the Bishops of North East region, in Itanagar where 17 Bishops gathered for their Annual Conference, the first to be held in Arunachal Pradesh. The reception was.....

Indian Dalits Still has Miles to go

Opinion | Articles | N.Leo Samuel

In the last week of December, a few people from Vengaivayal, a village in Pudukottai district of Tamil Nadu in southern India, were treated for upset stomachs and vomiting at the local government hospital. This continued for a week with more villagers rep.....

Job Fair in Don Bosco Kohima

Education | College | NECARF Rep

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

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 .....

Fourth Largest Economy in the world v/s Infrastructure and Citizen’ Happiness

Opinion | Articles | Basil A. D'Cunha

Fourth Largest Economy in the world v/s Infrastructure and Citizen’ happiness Our Honorable Prime Minister has stated that in the current year 2025, India stands as the world’s fourth-largest economy in the world. It places us behind only the United.....

Fratelli Tooti

Opinion | Articles | Chhotebhai

Had I entered a Spelling Bee contest I would have failed miserably, considering that I have mis-spelt the title of Pope Francis’ encyclical “Fratelli Tutti” that he wrote during the Covid pandemic. Unlike previous Popes, he wrote in Italian, not Latin. Se.....

Is Bollywood Promoting Rape and Violence?

Opinion | People's Edit | G.L. Khing

I write this Article to depict some of the reel life of Bollywood in contrast to the real life of the Indian society concerning the notion of rape and violence. The conservative Indian social life was well appreciated despite some evil practices that exis.....

Opinion

The Yellow Card

Articles | Chhotebhai |

There are two reasons why I remember the Yellow Card. The first dates back to boarding school more than 60 years ago. We had monthly tests for which we got cards – Gold for excellence, Blue for good work, Yellow for average marks and Pink for failure. Dur.....

The Poor are with Us!

Articles | Cedric Prakash |

The Catholic Church, will observe the ‘World Day of the Poor’, on 16 November 2025. The day has a special significance this year, since it comes in the wake of Pope Leo XIV’s first major papal document: An Apostolic Exhortation addressed “to all Christian.....

Youth: A Time to be Educated

People's Edit | Capt. Eddie Viegas |

“‘Tis Education that forms the common mind: Just as the twig is bent, the tree’s inclined.” (Alexander Pope) Indeed, if you ask any of the youngster in schools or colleges, “What is education?” You will get a plethora of replies ranging from getting a.....

Shifting Sands & Stands

Articles | Chhotebhai |

On Tuesday 4th November two events occurred that seemed like undermining our very foundations. One gets such a feeling while standing on the seashore when the tide is running out. As the water recedes one feels that the ground (sand) under one’s feet is s.....

Electors’ confusion regarding filling up SIR Enumeration

Articles | Isaac Harold Gomes |

At a time when the country is facing several tenacious problems namely volatile geopolitics in our neighbouring countries, very high US Tariff and Special Intensive Revision (SIR), it’s ironic that the shifting of stray dogs to safe shelters has made the .....

The determination was written on every Indian player’s face

Editorial | John S. Shilshi |

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.....

Education

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.....

NICORT Media College Announces Short Courses in Media fields

College | NECARF Rep |

Annoucment

NICORT Media College Announces Short Courses in Media fields.....

For those interested to make a Career in Mass Media and Journalism, NISCORT provides the opportunity

College | NECARF Rep |

NISCORT opens Admissions for Course in Mass Media and Journalism

NISCORT opens Admissions for Course in Mass Media and Journalism.....

Current Updates

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.....

NEIRBC Gets a new Education Commission Team

Editorial Pick | Editorial team |

Guwahati, June 25, 2025 – The Northeast Bishops Council’s Commission for Education has appointed a new leadership team, with Fr. Dr. Paul Pudussery, a Holy Cross priest, taking the helm. This transition marks the third leadership handover since the commis.....

Francis’s Bottle Craft: Miniature Homes in Glasses

Editorial Pick | Editorial team |

The Miniature Artist of Sikkim

In a quiet corner of Sikkim’s Lingzey, Gairigaon, an artist has been creating entire worlds inside bottles—one intricate house at a time. Meet Mr Francis Rai, the man behind Francis Bottle Crafts, whose passion for miniature architecture has turned into b.....

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