In a Washington Post article titled Identity, not ideology, is moving the world, political analyst Fareed Zakaria noted that while a healthy nationalism has historically contributed to the expansion of liberty and democracy, there is a global trend where right-wing figures are meeting people's need for stability and identity in a rapidly changing world. Zakaria described this force as "a strange mixture of insecurity and assertiveness" among those in positions of power. In India, the rise of the Hindu right wing has faced criticism, with concerns about increased mob violence against religious minorities and the normalisation of hate speeches targeting Christian leaders and institutions through mass media. Fortunately, in April 2023, the Supreme Court of India recognized hate speech as a serious offense that could threaten the country's secular fabric. In August 2023, Justices Sanjiv Khanna and SVN Bhatti emphasised that any reluctance to act against hate speeches would be viewed as contempt of the nation's highest court. Unfortunately, these directives continue to be disregarded by organisations and individuals, including the "Legal Rights Observatory" (LRO) and authorities like Priyank Kanoongo, Chairperson of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), who employ platforms like Twitter to defame Christian and Muslim leaders. Dr.

India (MNN) — A two-year-old’s birthday party with his Christian parents suddenly turned into a frightening moment for the family. The father, Raxit, mentors Children’s Bible Club leaders with Mission India and hosts church services in his home. Mission India’s Regan Miller says, “[Raxit] had a group of believers over to his house to celebrate his son’s birthday, and a group of anti-Christian extremists just barged in loudly and were aggressive and using inappropriate language and behavior. They were just about to start pelting people with stones, and they only stopped because they saw a security camera.” Unfortunately, it didn’t stop there. “The police in the area actually favored the anti-Christian activists and filed a case against Raxit,” says Miller. “He’s had his church disrupted on Sundays before or just had people protest his services. But this is kind of a next-level event.” Threats and targeting of Christians has grown more common in India over the last decade. Raxit’s story hits home for Mission India as they support local believers in ministry. The International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP) is coming up Sunday, November 5. It’s really a key time to focus prayer for our persecuted Christian brothers and sisters as they proclaim the Gospel in

Christians in a southern Indian state have urged the provincial government to end discriminatory education policies that adversely impact Christian-run schools receiving state funds.   The Christian community runs around 6,000 of the estimated 8,403 schools in Tamil Nadu that receive government aid, and hence are referred to as “aided schools.”   “Most of them are in villages where the government is unable to provide education for want of infrastructure,” said Father Antonysamy Solomon, secretary of the education commission of Tamil Nadu Bishops Council (TNBC). He said the roughly 6,000 schools, which include close to 2,500 Catholic schools, have played a pioneering role in educating several generations in Tamil Nadu for more than a century.   “The government agreed to provide aid because of the community’s contributions. But it is discriminating against us and favoring only government schools now,” Father Solomon said.   The state government provides breakfast for students in primary schools run by it. Students passing out from the 37,211 government schools also benefit from a 7.50 percent special quota in admissions to higher education courses like medical and engineering.   A monthly stipend of 1,000 rupees (US$12) has been announced recently for female students from government schools to help them pursue higher education.   “The same privileges are not extended