Cover Stories

A Crackdown on Kindness

The Church faces pressure on all fronts: new legal restrictions that tighten state oversight of its institutions, and a media environment where sensational accusations dominate headlines while acqui

Fr. Gaurav Nair Fr. Gaurav Nair
29 Jun 2026

Press Blackout of Acquittal of Missionaries of Charity in Fake Trafficking Case Confirms India's Compromised Media

Sensational 'child trafficking' charge made global headlines, but the court's acquittal barely made the news. The contrast is a telling sign of media complicity, political influence, and the growing m

Anto Akkara Anto Akkara
29 Jun 2026

Articles

As new restrictions tighten around churches and civil society organisations, those likely to suffer most are the poor, the marginalised, and the forgotten communities who rely on faith-based instituti

John Dayal John Dayal
29 Jun 2026

From Chhattisgarh to North Korea, Nigeria to Iraq, the faces of persecution differ, but the outcome remains the same: shrinking freedoms, shattered communities and an international human-rights system

Oliver D'Souza Oliver D'Souza
29 Jun 2026

Please issue a clarification that, ordinarily, a passport will be accepted as proof of Indian citizenship. Exceptions are exceptions and can be dealt with separately. I hope you will do the needful.

A. J. Philip A. J. Philip
29 Jun 2026

From examination scandals and opaque governance to fallen media and engineered horse trading, the erosion of accountability threatens our foundations. When institutions fail to hold power to account,

Jacob Peenikaparambil Jacob Peenikaparambil
29 Jun 2026

The measure of a just society lies in how it treats its most vulnerable. On World Refugee Day, the call is clear: stand with those forced to flee, defend their dignity, and ensure that safety becomes

Cedric Prakash Cedric Prakash
29 Jun 2026

The IITs transformed the country by nurturing a scientific temper and innovation. As mission drift creeps in through misplaced priorities and questionable academic pursuits, preserving their founding

Jaswant Kaur Jaswant Kaur
29 Jun 2026

In an era when political speeches are measured more by their electoral potential than their moral resonance, Adam Nee Evide Aakunnu? By VD Satheesan offers something rare.

Dr Suresh Mathew Dr Suresh Mathew
29 Jun 2026

It eats through generations Through lullabies whispered In fear, Through the young Dalit boys learning To bow before they learn To stand, Through Dalit girls taught To make themselves smaller

Dr Suryaraju Mattimalla Dr Suryaraju Mattimalla
29 Jun 2026

Remembering the Holocaust has meaning only when it inspires humanity to resist every form of mass violence. The challenge before nations today is not merely to honour past victims but to prevent new v

Thomas Menamparampil Thomas Menamparampil
29 Jun 2026

The recent Supreme Court judgment that Christians cannot be classified as Scheduled Castes has stirred many emotions. I read the verdict with sadness, but not because I believe the Court was wrong. In

Robert Clements Robert Clements
29 Jun 2026

An organisation that claims to champion discipline, patriotism, and national regeneration should have little hesitation in embracing constitutional accountability. Transparency is not a threat to cred

A. J. Philip A. J. Philip
22 Jun 2026

Students today face unprecedented academic, emotional, and digital pressures. The answer lies not merely in better teaching techniques but in compassionate mentorship. Teachers who inspire trust, mode

Jacob Peenikaparambil Jacob Peenikaparambil
22 Jun 2026

As the BJP consolidates power and the TMC splinters into rival camps, Mamata Banerjee's future hangs in the balance. Surrounded by rebels and rivals, she faces her gravest crisis—yet remains a leader

John Dayal John Dayal
22 Jun 2026

The national testing regime has become a costly annual drill that encourages rote learning, fuels corruption, enriches the coaching industry, and inflicts severe mental stress on millions of students,

Joseph Maliakan Joseph Maliakan
22 Jun 2026

The rise of the Cockroach Janata Party challenges the familiar "foreign hand" narrative, revealing instead a home-grown expression of youth frustration over unemployment, inequality, and political

Pachu Menon Pachu Menon
22 Jun 2026

The shrinking availability of migrant labour calls for a fundamental rethinking of labour policy. Better wages, social protection, housing, skill development, and workplace modernisation are essential

Jose Vattakuzhy Jose Vattakuzhy
22 Jun 2026

Visionary that he was, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam's ardent proposal for a National Prosperity Index to replace the National Poverty Index was an effective socio-economic mantra as a holistic formula. This per

P. A. Chacko P. A. Chacko
22 Jun 2026

We are told We must not dream Of becoming: A Reader, Bent over bright margins Where new worlds germinate;

Dr Suryaraju Mattimalla Dr Suryaraju Mattimalla
22 Jun 2026

Every few months, we are treated to the same political circus. A party wins an election. Voters celebrate. Defeated parties lick their wounds. Commentators analyse the verdict. Then, just when everyon

Robert Clements Robert Clements
22 Jun 2026

After I reached this place on May 27, 1964, I have generally kept away from writing letters. Old habits, however, die hard. My daughter is here, and so are my grandsons. None of us knows you personall

A. J. Philip A. J. Philip
15 Jun 2026

As an educator committed to improving the quality of education in our country, I am writing this open letter to draw your attention to issues that require urgent intervention. I trust these concerns w

Albert Rayan Albert Rayan
15 Jun 2026

The greatest threat to religion today is not atheism but its politicisation and commercialisation. When faith is used to divide, hate and dominate, it becomes a mockery of itself. True religion begins

Jacob Peenikaparambil Jacob Peenikaparambil
15 Jun 2026

Once the BJP leader who proudly defended his right to eat beef, Kiren Rijiju now stands accused of dismissing minority anxieties as propaganda. His evolution reflects the growing distance between cons

John Dayal John Dayal
15 Jun 2026

India's invisible care economy rests on the unpaid labour of millions of women. The Supreme Court has recognised homemakers as nation builders; the challenge now is to support, value, and invest in ca

Jaswant Kaur Jaswant Kaur
15 Jun 2026

A court that recognises a constitutional danger yet permits the process to proceed cannot remain outside the story. As allegations of mass disenfranchisement grow, the focus of political and constitut

Oliver D'Souza Oliver D'Souza
15 Jun 2026

As hate, violence and greed become the new normal, the Sacred Heart of Jesus challenges us to live differently. Its message of fire, forgiveness, fearlessness, freedom and fraternity remains the most

Cedric Prakash Cedric Prakash
15 Jun 2026

You mark us by our labour. Hindu scriptures call us We were born From feet, From dirt, From sin.

Dr Suryaraju Mattimalla Dr Suryaraju Mattimalla
15 Jun 2026

A few years from now, while the old political warriors are wondering what embarrassing nickname has been invented for them, the cockroaches may still be crawling steadily forward, quietly having the l

Robert Clements Robert Clements
15 Jun 2026

The battle over cattle is no longer merely about faith or food. It is about whether farmers can survive, whether livestock retains economic value and whether symbolism can coexist with the hard realit

A. J. Philip A. J. Philip
08 Jun 2026

The real national emergency is not religion or identity but the betrayal of India's youth. While governments chase votes through division and spectacle, millions of young Indians confront unemployment

Jacob Peenikaparambil Jacob Peenikaparambil
08 Jun 2026

At the Red Fort, Amit Shah transformed a so-called cultural gathering into a declaration of intent: tribal identity belongs within the Hindu fold. For two crore Adivasi Christians, the rally signalled

John Dayal John Dayal
08 Jun 2026

The controversy surrounding ILBS goes beyond one tragic death. It raises concerns about the VIP culture, commercialisation, unequal access and institutional accountability in a public healthcare syste

Joseph Maliakan Joseph Maliakan
08 Jun 2026

The 1851 novel by one of the best English novelists of all time, Charles Dickens, levelling a poignant critique of industrialisation and utilitarianism in England, attempted to present the dehumanisin

Julian S Das Julian S Das
08 Jun 2026

The sun rises But does not touch us first. Roosters in the non-Dalit yards Crow before we are allowed To open our doors.

Dr Suryaraju Mattimalla Dr Suryaraju Mattimalla
08 Jun 2026

Marco Rubio had a tough time in India trying to respond to questions about Donald Trump's "hellholes" remark regarding India and China. Did Rubio describe the statement as "stupid," or was he referrin

Thomas Menamparampil Thomas Menamparampil
08 Jun 2026

The white-bearded village chief and his bald-headed deputy stood at the edge of the village where nobody would overhear them. They had chosen the spot carefully because of Pegasus, the invisible flyin

Robert Clements Robert Clements
08 Jun 2026