North East Catholic Research Forum

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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.....

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.....

The Temporariness and Unpredictability of Life

Opinion | Articles | Cedric Prakash |

It is a tragedy of immense proportion! One of the worst in the history of civil aviation in India! An Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner (AI-171), from Ahmedabad to London, crashed shortly after take-off. The flight departed at 1:38 pm from the Sardar Vall.....

Corporate Swindling amounts to Human Rights violations

Opinion | Articles | M L Satyan |

Two days ago, I came across a YouTube video in which a group of human rights activists are campaigning in a bus in Chennai. The motive of the campaign was to sensitise the common people about corporate companies looting the forests in Madhya Pradesh, Chha.....

Francis’s Bottle Craft: Miniature Homes in Glasses

Current Updates | 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.....

A Challenge to Communicators

Opinion | Articles | Cedric Prakash |

On Sunday 1 June, the Catholic Church will observe the 59th World Day of Social Communications. The day is significant becuse ‘communications’ is an important and integral dimension of the Church. ‘Communications Day’ is one of the oldent ‘special days’ .....

When did God Die?

Opinion | Articles | Chhotebhai |

Another startling headline? It isn’t about Holy Friday. It was occasioned by a Special Edition (100 pages) of Time magazine totally dedicated to Pope Francis, on his death. Strangely, there was no mention of this in the Catholic media. A soft copy was sen.....

Editorial

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.....

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.....

Previous Articles

As The Pandemic Scourges on - Musings In The Times Of Covid-19

Opinion | Articles | Philip Lyngdoh

Pandemic life has been tough and we all need a fresh start. Especially as Covid now posits a mortal threat not just for people beyond 45 and with co-morbidities but also for younger people. All this while many - rather most, - liked to brush away Covid a.....

On Living the Legacy of Fr. Stan Swamy

Opinion | Articles | Cedric Prakash

Late evening of 8 October 2020, Fr Stan Swamy was summoned from ‘Bagaicha’ in Ranchi (the Social Centre he founded in 2006 and where he lived) by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) officials, to their local headquarters in Ranchi city. He was immed.....

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.....

Uniformity, Conformity, or Deformity?

Opinion | Articles | Chhotebhai

TV Debates and newspaper headlines are replete with news and views on the proposed Uniform Civil Code (UCC). They have generated more heat than light. That, sadly, may be what the UCC is all about. Let us go b.....

The Yellow Card

Opinion | 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.....

Dilution, Clericalism, overshadow National Syntheses

Opinion | Articles | Chhotebhai

The Synod on Synodality was kick-started in October 2021.The first phase, the national level, was to conclude by 15th August 2022 and the National Syntheses (NS) were to be sent to the Synod Secretariat at the Vatican. A communiqué from Rene Reid, Direct.....

Sikkim Catholics Met for a Eucharistic Celebration amidst Lockdown

Current Updates | NE Brief | NECARF Rep

After seven months of isolation due to the pandemic, the Parishioners of St. Peter's Church, Gaucharan, Gangtok, East Sikkim district, finally broke the silence by organizing a Eucharistic celebration on September 27, 2020, strictly observing all the form.....

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.....

The Season of Lent

Opinion | Articles | Benjamin Chang

Ash Wednesday marks the onset of the Lent, the 40-day period of fasting and abstinence. Ash Wednesday is so called because of the imposition of ashes on the foreheads of the faithful, marked with the shape of a cross, which serve as a reminder of the call.....

Inpui Community’s first Catholic Church in Yurembam

Current Updates | NE Brief | NECARF Rep

When Mary Immaculate Catholic Church is inaugurated on the 15th of January 2021 at Yurembam by Most Rev. Dominic Lumon, Archbishop of Imphal, it will be the first Catholic Church for this particular community. Catholic presence amongst the Inpui community.....

The Success story of Awungshi Shimray Augustina Sanyaola

Opinion | Articles | Philip Lyngdoh

The Success story of Awungshi Shimray Augustina Sanyaola From diamond seller to apple farmer, Awungshi Shimray Augustina Sanyaola has come a long way. Her story is one of hope for those who want to convert their passion and dream into a real enterprise. .....

Opinion

As Thick as Thieves

Articles | Chhotebhai |

There are some common English sayings like – “As thick as thieves”, “Birds of a feather flock together” and “Fools seldom differ”. By now an intelligent reader like you would have guessed where this is going. It’s pointing to Trumpeting Trump and his cote.....

The Culture of othering is an unhealthy trend

Editorial | John S. Shilshi |

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.....

History of Lakhuti Catholic Church: 1951 to 2026 (75th Anniversary Jubilee

Articles | Abraham Lotha |

The story of the Catholic Church in Lakhuti evolved from “dhorum khicho” (took religion) to “Catholic dhorum hansi yicho” (brought Catholic religion) to “Catholic kümcho” (became Catholic). This unfolded at the confluence of British colonial expansion in.....

Let there be CHRISTMAS

Articles | Cedric Prakash |

Let there be Christmas to help us realise that Joseph together with his young, pregnant wife had to trudge a long distance to get themselves registered in Bethlehem due to a Roman decree by Caesar Augustus, which required everyone to return to their ances.....

Persecutions in the land of Tagore, Vivekananda, and Gandhi

Editorial | John S. Shilshi |

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.....

A Conspiracy to Disempower Christian Adivasis

Articles | John Dayal |

The organisers had instructions for speakers to not criticise the top political leaders, the government or the ruling party in the "National Christian Convention" at the New Delhi's Jantar Mantar protest site, but that did not stop Dalit and other speaker.....

Current Updates

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.....

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.....

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.....

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