Narendra Modi
A priest overcomes India’s anti-Christian violence to lead interfaith dialogue
By Priyadarshini Sen — March 4, 2022
NEW DELHI (RNS) — The Kandhamal riots of 2008 stand out as a watershed moment in India’s history of mass violence against minorities. A Catholic priest who survived them wants to bring faith leaders together to get past that history.
Farmer anger will test Modi as India’s ‘grain bowl’ votes
By Sheikh Saaliq — February 21, 2022
FATEHGARH SAHIB, India (AP) — New political players are vying to convert the farmers’ anger into votes, arguing that a new party is the only path to change.
Indian state begins voting in test for Modi’s Hindu politics
By Krutika Pathi — February 10, 2022
AYODHYA, India (AP) — Uttar Pradesh is currently governed by the BJP’s Yogi Adityanath, a polarizing Hindu monk turned politician.
Ancient Indian temples are designated ‘iconic,’ worrying preservationists
By Priyadarshini Sen — February 4, 2022
(RNS) — Promises of ‘better connectivity, more jobs and more tourists’ sound more like threats to some locals and conservationists.
Indian farmers won over the Indian government. What now?
By Gunisha Kaur and Simran Jeet Singh — January 12, 2022
(RNS) — The Indian farmers’ victory gave us hope, but it’s just the beginning.
Top Indian court intervenes in hate speeches against Muslims
By Ashok Sharma — January 12, 2022
NEW DELHI (AP) — India’s top court on Wednesday said it will take up a petition seeking prosecution of several saffron-robed Hindu religious leaders for allegedly making highly provocative speeches against Muslims at a closed-door meeting last month. Three Supreme Court judges said they were issuing a notice to the Uttarakhand state government that they […]
I was put up for ‘auction’ by Hindu extremists in India
By Amina Kausar — January 6, 2022
(RNS) — Indian Muslim women have been fighting the misogyny of Hindu extremism for years.
Why the Indian farmers’ protest victory is good for us all
By Simran Jeet Singh — November 23, 2021
(RNS) — The tiny difference between impossibility and implausibility can make all the difference in the world for us.
Bowing to protests, India’s Modi agrees to repeal farm laws
By Sheikh Saaliq — November 19, 2021
(AP) — “At last, all of our hard work paid off. ... I salute the farmer brothers who were martyred in this battle,” said Rakesh Tikait, a prominent farmers’ leader.
Indian Catholics hope a papal visit will halt anti-Christian persecution
By Claire Giangravé — November 8, 2021
VATICAN CITY (RNS) — The Catholic minority in India hopes that a papal visit will mend relations between Christians and Hindus and promote gender equality in the local church.
Modi’s Diwali extravaganza shows why we need to tell the many stories of Rama
By Kalpana Jain — November 2, 2021
(RNS) — Some Hindus fear that Hinduism’s rich diversity is being erased in favor of a common Hindu canon.
India’s Modi invites pope to visit after 2017 plan collapsed
By Nicole Winfield and Aijaz Hussain — November 1, 2021
Modi is in Rome for the Group of 20 summit, and his visit to the Vatican marked the first time in more than 20 years that an Indian leader has met a pope.
Human rights is on Blinken’s agenda in India. Can he make it stick?
By Simran Jeet Singh — July 30, 2021
(RNS) — If we are going to be partners, we have to hold India to the standards we expect from ourselves.
India can still turn the tide back toward democracy
By David Curry — July 15, 2021
(Open Doors) — For years, extremist ideologues have dominated India’s executive branch and legislature. Now, the judicial system has fallen.
Confessions of a reluctant Hindu
By Bidisha Biswas — June 8, 2021
(RNS) — Is it possible to be a Hindu and reject caste? For me, the answer is yes. Hinduism is a living religion, and Hindus can reform their religion by the very act of living out the changes we seek.
