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Shifting Sands & Stands

Opinion | 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

Opinion | 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 .....

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

Current Updates | 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.....

A reflection on the All Souls Day

Opinion | Articles | Benjamin Chang |

There are three major reasons that helped me grow in Faith after coming to Shillong. All Souls Day is one of them. In the past, I always found it odd to see people love having their photos taken on the tombs and in the graveyard. Stories and talks related.....

Does God play Games?

Opinion | Articles | Chhotebhai |

Last night (30th October) my wife and I sat to watch the last two hours of the semi-final match between India and Australia in the ICC Women’s One Day World Cup. It is headlines today. Australia was defeated after 7 years, that too despite piling on a mas.....

Impending SIR in West Bengal and its nitty gritty

Opinion | Articles | Isaac Harold Gomes |

According to Anandabazar.com (24.10.2025), the Election Commission of India (ECI) is on the verge of finalising its preparations for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the Voters’ List of West Bengal which goes to polls (Assembly Elections) in 2026......

Kings or No Kings

Opinion | Articles | Chhotebhai |

Both Kings and No Kings are in the news for very different reasons. First there is King Charles III of England who just visited Pope Leo in the Vatican and held a joint prayer service with him. The other is the No King rally in the USA on 18th October whe.....

Film Fanaticism is Cultural Obsession for Youth

Opinion | Articles | M L Satyan |

The following news sent shock waves all over the country: “On September 27, 2025 at least 41 people were killed and around 100 others were injured in a crowd crush during a political rally in Karur district, Tamil Nadu, India. The rally was hosted by the .....

Called 'To Mission'

Opinion | Articles | Cedric Prakash |

‘The Mission’, is a 1986 British period drama film, about the experiences of a Jesuit missionary in 18th-century South America. The film is a rather complex one, though compelling and spiritually stirring. In essence, it is about the stand, which the Span.....

Christianity and the Contemporary Naga Society

Opinion | Articles | Jonas Yanthan |

Religion has tremendous impact on people and ultimately the society. The truth is believers act and behave in the way each individual or society believes. We know that bad theology and shallow belief system can turn believers into mediocre or fanatic peop.....

An MSMHC Nun from Mizoram did the North East Proud

Current Updates | NE Brief | NECARF Rep |

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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.....

Religions are Commercialized

Opinion | Articles | M L Satyan |

Just recently I hired an autorickshaw in Bengaluru. While traveling in the autorickshaw I noticed a printed caption above the driver’s seat. It read: “Price the Lord”. My mind said that there is a typo. The word “Praise” has been wrongly spelt as “Price”......

The Capacity of Human Brain to Retain Data on Social Contacts

Opinion | Articles | Isaac Harold Gomes |

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We humans are social creatures and therefore we need ‘social bonds’ to survive on earth. However, our brains have their limits to sustain countless contacts. According to researchers our brains can effectively store a maximum of 150 relationships in our .....

The Three Idiots of Ladakh

Opinion | Articles | Chhotebhai |

The block buster Amir Khan movie “Three Idiots” is to some degree inspired by Sonam Wangchuk of Ladakh, the same person whom the Government has now arrested under the draconian National Security Act and lodged in far away Jodhpur jail. Ironically, till re.....

Editorial

Football opened a window to an unknown Nation

One is not sure how many people in the world would have known or heard about a country by the name of Cabo Verde prior to the commencement of the FIFA World Cup 2026. But beginning with the night the former Portuguese colony created history by holding Spa.....

Culture of Presumption: Disservice to a Man who saw no Evil

In May 2026, a popular priest, Fr. Bomax Pereira, suffered a cardiac arrest, and he was treated at the Goa Medical College. He was in the intensive care unit for a few days before he finally gave in and left while still in the ICU. Fr. Bolmax was one prie.....

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.....

Previous Articles

History of Manipur

Opinion | Articles | Irene Salam

Manipur can boast of having a recorded history from 33 A.D. when Pakhangba ascended the throne of Manipur. On the other hand, there is no concrete chronology of the pre-historic culture of N.E. India, except for some sites in Tripura. A few ceramic wares .....

Our Baptism made us children of God: Pope Francis

Current Updates | Editorial Pick | Editorial team

During his Sunday Angelus on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, Pope Francis reminds faithful that the day they were baptized, we became children of God forever, and this date of great grace must be remembered and celebrated. At our Baptism, we became.....

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

Opinion | Articles | Benjamin Chang

“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 .....

All Saints Day’ and ‘All Souls Day’

Opinion | Articles | Benjamin Chang

Catholic Church observes ‘All Saints Day’ on November 1 as a day to honor all the saints in heaven and ‘All Souls Day’ November 2 to pray for the souls in purgatory. ‘All Saints Day’ is intended to honour the memory of countless unknown and uncanonized s.....

Does God play Games?

Opinion | Articles | Chhotebhai

Last night (30th October) my wife and I sat to watch the last two hours of the semi-final match between India and Australia in the ICC Women’s One Day World Cup. It is headlines today. Australia was defeated after 7 years, that too despite piling on a mas.....

Step in to the World of Journalism and Mass Media

Education | College | NECARF Rep

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

From Fundamental Rights to Fundamental Duties: Christian Response to Crisis in India

Opinion | Articles | Acharyasri

In every Military Academy around the world, the one principle of war taught is ‘Offense is the best form of defense'. I have spent the best years of my life (from 24 years of age when I was Commissioned as a Pilot Officer with the Trophy for the 'Best O.....

Catholics make Their mark in Kachin Province of Strife-torn Myanmar

Opinion | Articles | John Zaw

Catholics make Their mark in Kachin Province of Strife-torn Myanmar These days Father Paul Lahpai Awng Dang worries less about the spillover of armed conflict between the military and ethnic Kachin rebels into his parish territory on the Myanmar-China .....

North East Catholic Community of Delhi puts up a Glittering show

Current Updates | NE Brief | NECARF Rep

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.....

Senior Advocate Dushyant Dave’s open letter to Prime Minister Modi

Current Updates | Editorial Pick | Editorial team

Senior Advocate Dushyant Dave’s open letter to Prime Minister Modi Dear Prime Minister, These path-breaking messages have rightly been described by you, Sir, as inspirations and not merely slogans. You have described this broadly as Secularism in action.....

Under Attack from Hindutva Forces, 'Convent' Schools Fight for Survival

Opinion | Articles | John Dayal

Well into the liberalised economic order, matrimonial advertisements in north Indian newspapers had parents of eligible men seeking brides who were fair, accomplished, homely and ‘convent educated’. The last qualification was an omnibus one, ensuring that.....

Opinion

From Catechism to Atheism

Articles | Chhotebhai |

Can catechism lead to atheism? Not surprisingly, it can. I am sharing below the testimony of a Sunday School teacher of 20 year’s standing. It brought me to tears. If you too are a parent, priest, pastor, catechist, student or a critically aware young per.....

Bishops, Theologians, and Cockroaches

Articles | Chhotebhai |

About 10 bishops and 50 theologians from across the country gathered at the Pastoral Centre, Agra on 25th/ 26th July for the 27th Colloquium of the CBCI’s Commission for Doctrine. As a layman I was the only cockroach. The theme was: A Rereading of the The.....

The origin of the Catholic faith among the Rengma Nagas

Articles | Benjamin Chang |

Until 1967, the Catholic Church remained entirely unknown to the Rengma people of Nagaland. The seeds of the faith were first planted through the dedicated efforts of a devout layman, the late Mr. Pralie Paulus Angami of Kohima Village. In 1966, Mr. Prali.....

Football opened a window to an unknown Nation

Articles | John S. Shilshi |

One is not sure how many people in the world would have known or heard about a country by the name of Cabo Verde prior to the commencement of the FIFA World Cup 2026. But beginning with the night the former Portuguese colony created history by holding Spa.....

Does God Need our Money?

Articles | Chhotebhai |

The theft and alleged misappropriation of offerings at the Ram Janambhoomi Temple in Ayodhya has been hogging the headlines. Will the big fish be caught? Were huge sums of money siphoned off to purchase the loyalty of wayward MPs from some Opposition Part.....

If Stan Swamy, the Martyr, were alive today ….

Articles | Cedric Prakash |

Exactly five years ago, on 5 July 2021, Jesuit Father Stan Swamy was murdered. He was killed because he refused to kow-tow to a brutal, fascist regime. He was killed because he took a stand for justice and truth! He was killed because he accompanied the A.....

Current Updates

Bishop Albert Hemrom Appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of Guwahati

Articles | NECARF Rep |

New Delhi, 16 July 2026 (CCBI): Pope Leo XIV has appointed Bishop Albert Hemrom (57), Bishop of Dibrugarh, as the Coadjutor Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Guwahati, Assam. The appointment was made public on Thursday, 16 July 2026......

History and Spread of Christianity in Arunachal Pradesh

Articles | Editorial team |

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Arunachal Pradesh, located in the eastern Himalayas, is one of India’s most culturally diverse and geographically isolated states. Formerly known as the North East Frontier Agency (NEFA), it became a Union Territory in 1972 and attained full statehood in.....

ICF Writes to the President of India

Articles | 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

Articles | 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

Articles | NECARF Rep |

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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

Articles | 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, .....