Cover Stories

Who Does the Law Protect?

India’s top court draws a hard line: convert, and lose caste protections. For Dalit Christians and Muslims, faith brings exclusion, not freedom. In lived reality, caste endures across religions, yet

Fr. Gaurav Nair Fr. Gaurav Nair
30 Mar 2026

Court Order on Status of SC Muslim, Christian Converts Unconstitutional and Hasty

You scratch an Indian, the caste comes out, irrespective of whether the person is a Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, agnostic or even an atheist. Community life in India is primarily ba

Joseph Maliakan Joseph Maliakan
30 Mar 2026

Articles

Contrary to judicial relief, the Supreme Court has reaffirmed that Dalit Christians lose Scheduled Caste status upon conversion, sustaining a controversial 1950 order and deepening anxieties over equa

John Dayal John Dayal
30 Mar 2026

The recent verdict of the Supreme Court of India on whether Dalit Christians can claim Scheduled Caste status would have been less troubling had it merely erred in law. What makes it profoundly disqui

A. J. Philip A. J. Philip
30 Mar 2026

Justice delivery in India depends equally on the judiciary and the executive, yet systemic failures, such as case backlogs, overuse of stringent laws, and prolonged detentions, undermine liberty and f

Jacob Peenikaparambil Jacob Peenikaparambil
30 Mar 2026

The Allahabad High Court's recent ruling in the case involving Rev. Father Vineet Vincent Pereira has sparked significant debate. The court refused to quash proceedings under Section 295A of the India

Special Correspondent Special Correspondent
30 Mar 2026

Commemorating Oscar Romero's martyrdom is recalling his fearless defence of the poor, his call to resist injustice, and his sacrifice. It challenges India today to confront oppression, uphold truth, a

Cedric Prakash Cedric Prakash
30 Mar 2026

Withdrawing futile treatment is not euthanasia but an ethical, lawful act grounded in dignity and autonomy, supporting living wills and compassionate end-of-life care. Misleading words like "passive e

J Charles Davis J Charles Davis
30 Mar 2026

In the present context of growing ineffectiveness of the United Nations to curb international conflicts and its failure to provide international peace and security, and in the face of unilateralism of

G Ramachandram G Ramachandram
30 Mar 2026

Your tenth stage Is denial: The washing of hands In the blood of semantics.

Dr Suryaraju Mattimalla Dr Suryaraju Mattimalla
30 Mar 2026

The current budget for 2026-27 signals a renewed commitment to urban development, earmarking INR 1 billion (?1 lakh crore) for the 'Urban Challenge Fund' with the ambitious goal of transforming cities

Fr. John Felix Raj & Prabhat Kumar Datta Fr. John Felix Raj & Prabhat Kumar Datta
30 Mar 2026

Perhaps what we need is a small board outside every office of authority. A simple reminder. "You are here temporarily. Please do not disturb permanent memories."

Robert Clements Robert Clements
30 Mar 2026

The Supreme Court of India ruling in the Harish Rana case revives ethical questions on euthanasia—especially withdrawing nutrition and care—juxtaposing legal permissibility with Catholic teaching that

Bp Gerald John Mathias Bp Gerald John Mathias
23 Mar 2026

The Supreme Court of India ruling in Harish Rana affirms the right to die with dignity, applying passive euthanasia guidelines while raising complex ethical questions on withdrawing care, patient inte

Adv. Rev. Dr. George Thekkekara Adv. Rev. Dr. George Thekkekara
23 Mar 2026

Three weeks into Operation Epic Fury, promised victories ring hollow: Iran remains resilient, oil leverage has grown, allies are uneasy, and costs mount. What was meant to project dominance instead ex

A. J. Philip A. J. Philip
23 Mar 2026

"Congress Mukt Bharat" has been a calculated strategy to weaken opposition and entrench dominance. Amid eroding institutions, constrained dissent, and majoritarian politics, India faces a pivotal mome

Jacob Peenikaparambil Jacob Peenikaparambil
23 Mar 2026

The Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025, proposes a sweeping overhaul of higher education, replacing key regulators while centralising authority and funding. The Bill undermines federalism, er

Joseph Maliakan Joseph Maliakan
23 Mar 2026

India's celebrated demographic dividend masks a deeper crisis: soaring graduate unemployment and a broken education-to-employment pipeline. As the 2026 report shows, degrees no longer guarantee jobs,

Jaswant Kaur Jaswant Kaur
23 Mar 2026

The US Commission on International Religious Freedom 2026 report sharply criticises India's religious freedom record, urging sanctions and "country of particular concern" status—charges the Government

Cedric Prakash Cedric Prakash
23 Mar 2026

Amid heat, traffic and a sealed venue, slum women in Patna lit candles against a distant war that hits closest home—fuel prices, hunger, survival. Led by Sister Dorothy Fernandes, their small protest

Frank Krishner Frank Krishner
23 Mar 2026

Your eighth stage Is persecution: Forced removals, Confiscated Dalit bodies, Legal harassment.

Dr Suryaraju Mattimalla Dr Suryaraju Mattimalla
23 Mar 2026

The old men may continue to regulate, supervise and register the youth. But there is one small problem.

Robert Clements Robert Clements
23 Mar 2026

Gandhi's warning against "politics without principles" echoes today as wars, power struggles, and democratic erosion spread globally. From international conflicts to domestic electoral manipulation, c

Jacob Peenikaparambil Jacob Peenikaparambil
16 Mar 2026

In Odisha's Sundargarh, tribal villagers are fighting in the Supreme Court to protect ancestral lands from mining expansion. Alleged violations of PESA and land laws threaten displacement, livelihoods

John Dayal John Dayal
16 Mar 2026

From Hiroshima and Nagasaki to modern wars and sanctions, a record of military dominance and unilateral "interventions" raises questions about moral authority, global policing, and the consequences of

Dr. Elsa Lycias Joel Dr. Elsa Lycias Joel
16 Mar 2026

A coalition of close to 30 civil society organisations, women's rights groups and constitutional rights advocates will hold a joint press conference on March 11, 2026, in Mumbai to express deep concer

Joint Press Note Joint Press Note
16 Mar 2026

The US–Israel attack on Iran is portrayed as part of a recurring pattern of military interventions justified by dubious claims. Such aggression, moral double standards, and geopolitical alignments ris

Chhotebhai Chhotebhai
16 Mar 2026

From Vietnam and Iran to Afghanistan and Iraq, a pattern of intervention driven by strategic and economic interests has shaped global conflicts. Such wars leave deep scars, reinforcing the reality tha

Ram Puniyani Ram Puniyani
16 Mar 2026

Alberuni warned that India's wisdom lay buried under much rubbish, demanding careful selection. In today's rush to rewrite history through myths and epics, that caution is vital—especially when ideolo

Thomas Menamparampil Thomas Menamparampil
16 Mar 2026

Your sixth stage Is polarisation, The pulling apart Of any threads That might still bind Victim and killer.

Dr Suryaraju Mattimalla Dr Suryaraju Mattimalla
16 Mar 2026

In war-torn Aden, four Missionaries of Charity Sisters were killed while serving the elderly, and their chaplain, Fr. Tom Uzhunnalil, was abducted. A decade later, their martyrdom and his survival rem

CM Paul CM Paul
16 Mar 2026

As we bite into bananas and papayas, let us also raise our voices against war. All wars. Every war. Because the moment war enters the kitchen, the dining table suddenly becomes a place of deep philoso

Robert Clements Robert Clements
16 Mar 2026

The Iranian war is a story of how greed, nations, leaders and alliances shape global conflict. A troubling question is also raised simultaneously: has India's once-independent foreign policy been repl

A. J. Philip A. J. Philip
09 Mar 2026

The 2026 Budget Session erupted as Rahul Gandhi was repeatedly blocked from citing MM Naravane's memoir, triggering suspensions and a no-confidence move against Om Birla. Gandhi accused Narendra Modi

G Ramachandram G Ramachandram
09 Mar 2026

Across India, ordinary citizens are pushing back against the rising hate speech and discrimination, defending minorities and upholding constitutional values. From solidarity protests to everyday acts

Jacob Peenikaparambil Jacob Peenikaparambil
09 Mar 2026

Civil marriages under the Special Marriage Act once enabled interfaith and intercaste unions beyond religious barriers. New proposals like Gujarat's parental consent rule threaten adult autonomy, rais

John Dayal John Dayal
09 Mar 2026

The Supreme Court swiftly acted when a textbook questioned the judiciary. But what about broader NCERT revisions aimed at reshaping history and civic understanding? As ideological edits accumulate, a

Oliver D'Souza Oliver D'Souza
09 Mar 2026

India's empowerment narrative celebrates only "professional" success while overlooking the unpaid labour of millions of homemakers, who sustain families and the economy. Recognising domestic work as r

Jaswant Kaur Jaswant Kaur
09 Mar 2026

The Allahabad High Court reaffirmed that caste is determined by birth and remains unchanged by conversion or marriage. The ruling revives the larger constitutional debate: if caste persists after conv

Jessy Kurian Jessy Kurian
09 Mar 2026

Your third stage Is discrimination, The tightening of rules Around the necks of the Dalit castes.

Dr Suryaraju Mattimalla Dr Suryaraju Mattimalla
09 Mar 2026

The tragic accident involving Sahil Dhaneshra, a 23-year-old youth brimming with promise, a wall adorned with medals, and the inconsolable anguish of a mother, has shaken the nation and compelled us t

Richa Walia Richa Walia
09 Mar 2026

Indian men are extremely safety-conscious. We are so concerned about women's safety that we have decided the safest place for them is inside a cage designed entirely by us.

Robert Clements Robert Clements
09 Mar 2026