North East Catholic Research Forum

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No Other Land

Opinion | Articles | Cedric Prakash |

Many years ago, there was a popular American song which one gustily sang at camps, picnics and other get-togethers. Thanks to its very catchy tune, it was always a hit. The chorus of the lyrics went thus: “This land is your land, and this land is my land.....

Saluting Zakia Jafri: Remembering the Gujarat Carnage 2002

Opinion | Articles | Cedric Prakash |

February will always be a painful month for some particularly the Jafri family: on 28 February 2002, Ehsan Jafri, a former Member of Parliament and an authentic and much-loved citizen of secular India was murdered; on 1 February 2025, his wife Zakiaben wa.....

Pope Francis is a Miracle

Opinion | Articles | M L Satyan |

At the age of 88 pope Francis is battling with his life. The health complications he is facing are indeed of grave concern for the doctors. His critical condition has caused grief to not only the Catholics but also to all the people of this world. Pope.....

Penny for your Penance

Opinion | Articles | Chhotebhai |

There are two common English phrases where the word “Penny” is used – “A Penny for your thoughts”, and “Going to spend a penny”. The first is obvious; the second means going to relieve one’s bladder. That could cost a penny in a British public convenience.....

Destroying Secularism

Opinion | Articles | Cedric Prakash |

On 28 January 2025, the well-known Calcutta daily ‘The Telegraph’ carried an article entitled ‘Rub your eyes: Hindu Rashtra Constitution to be unveiled at Mahakumbh on Basant Panchami’. The seemingly innocuous inside-page article, speaks volumes not only .....

What is Education without Character?

Opinion | Articles | M L Satyan |

I was deeply disturbed when I watched a video in WhatsApp sent to me by a Professor in Kerala. A Plus One student in a government higher secondary school at Anakkara in Palakkad, Kerala, issued a death threat to a teacher. The student's anger was sparked .....

Ecumenism is non-negotiable

Opinion | Articles | Chhotebhai |

Ecumenism is non-negotiable When we say that something is non-negotiable, we mean that it cannot be compromised or watered down. Its message and mission must be forthright, sincere and enduring. Ecumenism, commonly understood as Christian Unity, comes .....

Walking Our Sacred Land: Renewing Indigenous Catholic Identity Amid Crisis

Opinion | Articles | James Pochury |

As excavators churn up the sacred soil of our ancestral lands, the stakes grow clearer: this is not just about losing territory but about the erasure of identity, culture, and faith. In the Northeast of India, where the earth carries the stories of our an.....

Celebrate Diversity

Opinion | Articles | Cedric Prakash |

It is late evening, the day after Uttarayan (15 January), traditionally called ‘vasi uttarayan’. It has been a dull, cloudy day; the wind has been fairly good though. Since yesterday thousands have been on building –tops, flying their kites and many other.....

Corporate Greed is not Nation building

Opinion | Articles | M L Satyan |

Today two industrialists have become the talk among the social media, both in India and in abroad. One person is Mr. N.R. Narayana Murthy of Infosys and the other person is Mr. S.N. Subrahmanyan of Larsen & Toubro (L&T). Months after Infosys co-founder N.....

The heat is now on Christians in Northeast India

Opinion | Articles | John Dayal |

India’s bishops, as much as its civil society, possibly missed an ominous warning in a report in the Kathmandu-based portal Himal Southasian about the growing support within tribal communities in the northeastern states of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh for .....

School drop-out rate is a serious concern

Opinion | Articles | M L Satyan |

I had an opportunity to work with Functional Vocational Training and Research Society (FVTRS) from 2008 to 2014. The focus group of FVTRS was always school dropout students. Local NGOs became partners of FVTRS to provide skill training to school dropout s.....

"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.....

True Spirit of Christmas is to Give, Unite, and Hope

Opinion | Articles | Peter F Borges |

What does Christmas mean to you? Is it the sparkle of lights that adorn every street, the joyful hum of carols in the air, or the warm aroma of freshly baked cakes and sweets wafting through your home? Is it the excitement of unwrapping presents, the laug.....

Editorial

That 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.....

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.....

Previous Articles

The Church and Family

Opinion | People's Edit | Joseph M Thohrii

The Catholic vision describes the family as a community of life and love. Family life is sacred and its activities are holy because God’s love is revealed and communicated through these activities. As a result, families can come to believe that God dwells.....

Fire Frightening Franco: A corollary to Somebody Raped Nobody

Opinion | Articles | Chhotebhai

In my previous article I dwelt more on the judicial aspects of the judgement in the Franco Mulakkal rape case. The present one is based on the petition that I have submitted to Abp Anil Couto, the Metropolitan Archbishop of the Delhi ecclesiastical region.....

Mathematics: The Next Microscope of Life

Opinion | Articles | Victor Ferrao

Science has a deep relation with mathematics. Today even life sciences depend on quantitative measurements and correlations. Charles Darwin, the father of evolution is said to have expressed his regrets when he said, ‘ I have not proceeded far enough .....

The Capacity of Human Brain to Retain Data on Social Contacts

Opinion | Articles | Isaac Harold Gomes

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 .....

John Yesong: Tuensang’s First Catechist

Opinion | Articles | Benjamin Chang

John Yesong: Tuensang’s First Catechist. John Yesong was born on May 1, 1949, at Phelungre Village. He was born to very humble, non-Christian parents, Lt. Mr. Yutsalo and Lt. Mrs. Kiuthsangchi. At the young age of ten, he and his younger brother, Moses T.....

Archdiocese of Imphal bids Tearful Farewell to Rev. Fr. Albert Khartu

Current Updates | NE Brief | NECARF Rep

The Catholic community of the Archdiocese of Imphal bid emotional Farewell to late Rev. Fr. Albert Khartu, by partaking in Requiem Mass, with Most Rev. Dominic Lumon, DD, Archbishop of Imphal, as the main Celebrant at the St. Joseph’s Cathedral, Mantripuk.....

Whose Families are they anyway

Opinion | Articles | Chhotebhai

Whose Families are they anyway This piece has been inspired by two recent events. This morning (4th July), I read that “nice guy” Amir Khan was divorcing Kiran Rao, his second wife, of over a decade. The previous day I had read a Vatican News report .....

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 .....

India: An ailing nation, a sick society

Opinion | Articles | John Dayal

Sometime later this year, if all goes well in India and the United States, India will send its second citizen into space. The first one, fighter pilot Rakesh Sharma, was on board a Soviet spacecraft in 1984. The next, also an air force pilot, will be on b.....

The Cancel Culture

Opinion | Articles | Victor Ferrao

When dissent is silenced, minorities are almost erased; life is castrated and not allowed to bloom to freedom. We have stepped into what has been aptly named as cancel culture. Often cancel culture hides under the cover of a religion, tradition, nationali.....

Unceasing Prayer

Opinion | People's Edit | Michael Lunminthang

Unceasing Prayer The COVID situation gave us different experiences which we might not have come across in normal circumstances. In spite of the unending fear around us, to my surprise, I find myself contemplating more on ‘Prayer’ in my little ways t.....

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.....

Opinion

That Silent Prayer was the Loudest Thanks giving

Editorial | John S. Shilshi |

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 .....

Asia’s Fragile ecosystem may well be further complicated by the US-Israeli war with Iran

Articles | John Dayal |

The eruption of hostilities between Israel, the United States, and Iran — codenamed “Operation Epic Fury” — has thrust Asia into a precarious and highly sensitive geopolitical and humanitarian crisis, evoking a hesitant response of protest rallies and pea.....

Sowing the Wind

Articles | Chhotebhai |

At the beginning of the year, shortly after Trump invaded Venezuela, I had written “As Thick as Thieves”. I re-read it before writing this piece. I had then warned that the Venezuelan “success” would embolden Trump to flex his muscles elsewhere too. Tr.....

The Gujarat Carnage 2002: Never Forgotten!

Articles | Cedric Prakash |

It took place in 2002! A tragedy that will NEVER be FORGOTTEN! The Gujarat Carnage 2002 is easily one of the bloodiest chapters in post-independent India. The burning of the S-6 compartment of the Sabarmati Express (from Faizabad to Ahmedabad) some distan.....

Cries for Justice in India grow louder!

Articles | Cedric Prakash |

Cries for Justice in India grow louder! Come 20 February and the world will once again observe the ‘World Day of Social Justice’. It is an annual feature during which many all over (particularly the politicians) will wax eloquent on the need and import.....

Ignorance, Intelligence, and Wisdom

Articles | Chhotebhai |

We are about to enter the holy season of Lent. By now “good Christians” will have decided what to give up for the next forty days. Most of these “sacrifices” are linked to food and drink. Several will abstain from non-vegetarian food. This year Lent wi.....

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.....

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