Falsely accused priest cleared of charges
Associated Press
November 24, 2002

The Travesty at Anjediva
TGF
August 18, 2002

Despite several pleadings from Church and Heritage groups, one of the oldest Roman Catholic Churches in India is set for desecration by the Indian Navy! [more]

Why I walked to work
Deepika D'Souza
September 26, 2002

Violence will always breed more violence.

Jesuits in saffron and Sanskrit?
Ashok Chowgule
August 5, 2002

The Hindus more than welcome a genuine and sincere study of the Hindu philosophy. However, any attempt to pervert it, or to give a wrong rendering of the historical events, will be resisted not only by the Hindus, but also by all to whom truth is dear.

Hypocrisy!
Santosh Helekar
August 5, 2002

A response to The Ashok Chowgule article above:  One thing that unites all religious fundamentalists and fanatics, is hypocrisy

Religious Intolerance in India
TGF
August 15, 2000

Clear and present danger confronts India at this point and time.

Time to take note
Gaspar D'Souza
July 4, 2000

The hate campaigns of the Right Wing Hindu leaders is sufficient to lead their followers to violent deeds. 

Indians killing Indians
Dilip D'Souza
July 30, 2002

There will never be an end to Indians killing Indians as we saw in Gujarat. Not as long as criminals are passed off as patriots. (courtesy Rediff.com)

The Church in a Lurch
Ema and José Colaço
April 12, 2002

A few  sick & unscrupulous individuals have  violated our trust and the lives of the unsuspecting many who trusted them & effectively slapped the faces of hundreds of thousands of dedicated, hard working & devout Roman Catholic priests and nuns who continue to make such extraordinary sacrifices  in the service of the Church and others.
 

Christian Missionary activities:  a  Hindu Perspective
Suresh Desai
March 10, 1997

In my mind, as in the mind of anybody who is conversant with the history of Europe, the missionary activities and Christianity are inseparably associated with the intolerance of science, the killing of women suspected of being  witches, the crusades and the of victims in the Goa Inquisition.

The place of women in Hindu Society : a Sikh perspective
 Upinder Jit Kaur
September 5, 2001

The birth of a son was the most desired thing. It led to frequent pregnancies and poor health of women. The birth of a female child was a sign of misfortune. So female infanticide came to be practised.

Portuguese Hindus commemorate 20 years
Jorge de Abreu Noronha July 29, 2002

Hindu leaders Sant Shri Morari Bapu & Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji arrive in Portugal to join in the festivities which mark the 20 years of this community in Portugal.

Terrorists come in various garbs and disguises :  
Pravin Sabnis
May 27, 2002

 Like the VHP!

DECLINE AND FALL OF BUDDHISM
www.ambedkar.org

Muslim invasion was the cause of fall of Buddhism, not only in India, but also all over the world. 

As to the reason why Buddhism was destroyed but Brahmanism survived, the massacre by Muslims must be understood. [external site]

A Hindu view of Muslims

India's Vajpayee claims that wherever Muslims are living they don't want to live in harmony. They are not interested in living in peace.

The challenges Indian Catholics  face.
José Colaço
July 17, 2002

Behind the overt set of gripes is the real reason why the Fundamentalist Hindus are upset with the Catholic Church i.e. Education made available to the poor and disadvantaged has caused the poor to stand up for their own rights.

The Cassock and the forked tongue.
TGF
July 6, 2000

"I want to become a bishop on the move"
The Guardian - UK
May 20, 2002

A Catholic bishop in the UK returns to the basics of Jesus Christ's  life and teachings.

Family Feuds in Goa
by Ema Souza-Colaço
September 6, 1999

Family feuds in Goa occur for basically the same reasons as anywhere else: in the world: Sibling Rivalry Greed and Misgivings.

To Home Page
 

Declaration of Chapultepec 2002

Freedom of expression in all its forms & manifestations is a fundamental and inalienable right of all individuals. Additionally, it is an indispensable requirement for the very existence of a democratic society. [external site]

DILI, East Timor, May 19, 2002 (Reuters): Tens of thousands of joyful East Timorese flocked to a dusty field on the outskirts of Dili on Sunday to celebrate the birth of their nation at midnight after centuries of foreign occupation.

Foreign leaders and delegations from 80 nations have arrived, with U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan will transfer power at midnight from the U.N. mission that has run East Timor since its fateful decision to split from Indonesia in 1999 triggered a vicious response from pro-Jakarta militias backed by the Indonesian military.

With backing from Indonesia's army, the militias virtually returned the former Portuguese colony to Year Zero, destroying most of its buildings, killing livestock and forcing hundreds of thousands of Timorese to flee into Indonesian West Timor.

More than 200,000 people -- a quarter of the population -- were killed by fighting, famine and disease that followed Indonesia's invasion in 1975 and during its occupation.

Viva Timor-Leste!

Jorge de Abreu Noronha
May 20, 2002

East Timor is going to be the eighth (and last) member of CPLP (Commonwealth of Portuguese Speaking Countries), side by side with Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal and Sao Tome & Principe. Portugal will continue to assist its former colony at least for another year, not only financially but also by way of training the armed forces and security personnel and as far as education is concerned.   [read full story]
 

The Caste System of India  José Colaço January 26, 1998 The world's first system of organised Apartheid.     Siddis: The African Indians  José Colaço August 15, 2002 Who really are the Siddis and how did they come to India?  What became of them? Mainly sold by Arab traders as slaves to Indian Princes,  some bought by Portuguese colonialists and transported from Africa to Goa as slaves, the descendants of these hapless people remain at the very fringes of  Indian society. Pedophilia and the Catholic Church Bambino Martins April 14, 2002 The Catholic laity shouldn't bury its head in the sand while the scandal of Catholic priests molesting children continues unabated and the hierarchy plays musical chairs with the guilty priests shifting them from parish to parish. Afro-Indian Conflicts in the Caribbean Gabrielle Hookumchand May 18, 2000 West Indians of African as well as East Indian ancestry are prejudiced against each other; their overt togetherness notwithstanding. A Catholic's view of Hindus José Colaço Jan 26, 2002 Learning to live at peace with one another - 'Would you prefer a dishonest and hence nominal Christian over an honest Hindu or Muslim or Sikh......and vice-versa? ' India should make the Conversion activities by Christian Missionaries an offence: Sandeep Heble July 10, 2002 If a Christian missionary comes to me and calls me a sinner, he is denigrating my own religion and my own belief. Growing up & Tolerance in a civilized society Samir Kelekar July 10, 2002 The justification of violence because one's religious beliefs are denigrated, cannot be tolerated in a civilized society Christian Missionaries are like the Mafia Sandeep Heble July 4, 2002 Christianity has over the years been destructive of the cultural systems of many countries;it is the most violent doctrine with its holy book, the bible, is mainly a gospel of hate. Hindu Coercion no different from Christian Pravin Sabnis July 5, 2002 Whatever you say about Conversions by the Christians is true for conversions by the Hindus. Not opposed to Conversion, only proselytizing Sandeep Heble July 10, 2002 I have never opposed voluntary conversions or conversions by conviction. I am opposed to the proselytizing activities being carried out by the Christian missionaries How about conversion to humane behaviour? Pravin Sabnis July 12, 2002 How do you explain the near disappearance of Buddhism from India (widespread during Emperor Ashoka's time)? Muslims, not Hindus destroyed Buddhism Sandeep Heble July 15, 2002 The actual decline of Buddhism was largely due to the conquest of India by the Mohammedans and not due to the intolerance of the Hindu Kings. Buddhists were attacked by violent Hindu Kings Pravin Sabnis July 16, 2002 Post Ashoka, Buddhism, its followers and shrines, were attacked by the then violent, feudal Hindu kings. That is history!. No need to hold a torch for the Islamic, Christian or Hindu fundamentalism. The Most Unholy Inquisition TGF June 21, 2001 The Catholic Church must apologize for the very unholy Inquisition during which many people were tortured and sent to their fiery deaths. Religious Extremism  Pravin Sabnis May 27, 2002 They dig up graveyards of history to show how temples were demolished to make way for mosques. If they dig further, they would find scores of Stupas being demolished to build temples. Jesuits martyred in India: On the 25 July, 1583  five Jesuit priests were butchered and their bodies dumped into a well in  Cuncolim (South Goa).  However, it is the premeditated and gruesome murder in South India, of  John de Britto SJ which best attests to the cruelty of the times.  Fr. Britto was dismembered and then  beheaded on the 11th of February 1693 as per the order of the Hindu Raja of the area. Are Goans Truly Liberated? TGF June 18, 2001 Despite the hoop-la which occurs every December 19, Goans remain deeply disappointed at the state of chaos and degeneration to which their homeland has been reduced. St. Francisco Xavier José Colaço December 3, 2000 The sacrificial efforts and life of Francis Xavier is the major source of inspiration for many Indian Catholics at a time when diverse forces from within and without the Catholic Church are rocking the very foundation of Catholicism. You better NOT fall in love with ...: There are still communities in India, whose village leaders will not hesitate to award death sentence to a lover who happened to be fascinated by a member of the opposite sex belonging to another community. There too, are dowry-hungry families who think nothing of torturing young brides who are unable to meet their demands. Hinduism's Political Resurgence : In 1992 a crowd of Hindu men demolished a 16th-century mosque in Ayodhya. They claimed it had been built by the Mogul emperor Babur over the birthplace of Lord Rama. India changed fast after that moment of Hindu nationalist rage Hypocritical Pakistani Hindu & Christian view: Pakistani Christian & Hindu organizations indulge in anti-Indian diatribe merely to appease the Muslim majority. Don't cry for us, Pakistani Christians: We can take care of ourselves.