A recent report from World Inequality Lab titled, ‘Towards Tax Justice and Wealth Redistribution in India’, has laid bare the stark economic disparities that plague India. The findings are sobering: nearly 90 per cent of the country’s billionaire wealth is concentrated in the hands of the upper castes, highlighting a deep socio-economic divide. Billionaire wealth dominated by upper castes The analysis in the report unveils a staggering 88.4 per cent of India’s billionaire wealth is controlled by upper castes. In contrast, while Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) together form a significant part of India’s workforce, their representation among enterprise owners remains disproportionately low. This discrepancy is not limited to the billionaires; the All-India Debt and Investment Survey (AIDIS) for 2018-19 indicates that upper castes hold nearly 55 per cent of the national wealth. This concentration of wealth also highlights the persistent economic inequalities rooted in India’s caste system. Caste influences financial demographics Caste continues to play a critical role in determining access to essential resources such as education, healthcare, social networks, and credit — all crucial for entrepreneurship and wealth creation. Historically, Dalits faced prohibitions on land ownership in many regions, severely curtailing their economic progress. This disparity extends beyond billionaire rankings. The ‘State

A woman in the southern region of Chhattisgarh was brutally hacked to death on June 24 by fanatic Hindu relatives following a dispute over her Christian faith. The incident, which shocked the entire Christian community of Chhattisgarh, occurred in the Toylanka village of the state’s Dantewada district. In a complaint to the district’s police chief, relatives of the deceased, Bindu Sori, alleged that her family had been harassed and threatened by other relatives ever since they became Christians four years ago. The new complaint also alleges that despite Sori’s family’s previous complaints to the local police station, no action was taken against the harassers. This time around, the fanatic relatives and other villagers started a fight with Sori’s family over land, claiming they had no rights to the fields now that they were Christians. The relatives warned Sori’s family that there would be dire consequences if they worked in the field during the coming monsoon season. As the rainy season started, the Sori’s family went out to plow and sow the field. Enraged, the fanatic relatives attacked them with arrows and axes. The tractor driver and others managed to flee, but Sori could not. Two men caught her, attacked her with axes, and killed her. The

On 12 June, Christian families were allegedly attacked by a Hindutva mob in Chhattisgarh’s Jagdalpur and given an ultimatum to denounce their religion within 10 days. At least two victims were left unconscious while three were hospitalised after the attack in Bade Paroda village, under Badanji Police station. One of the injured had a broken leg indication of the intensity of the violence, the lawyer representing the families told Maktoob. The village has been a flashpoint for these religious clashes since 2023, with the Christian minorities being the target of these sporadic attacks and intimidation. The lawyer representing the families since 2023 noted how all the attacks were aided by the local police eventually leading the families to flee from their village. “The families are now banished from the village and have been coerced into signing a statement, in the presence of local authorities and signed by the village sarpanch, stating they will convert within ten days if they wish to return. They fled the village, fearing for their lives, as they believed they would be killed if they did not comply,” the lawyer, who wants to remain anonymous, told Maktoob. While sharing the information about the incident, United Christian Forum (UCF) said at

Two Catholic priests were seriously injured in a violent robbery at a church in Odisha, sparking concerns over the safety of the Christian minority community in the region. The incident occurred in the early hours of Saturday, June 15, at the Jhorabahal parish in Sundergarh district's Rourkela city. A group of around 15 masked assailants, armed with iron rods, crowbars and hockey sticks, barged into the presbytery (priests' residence) around 2:30 am. Father Nerial Bilung, 72, the parish priest, and Father Alois Xalxo, 52, the assistant priest, were brutally assaulted by the intruders. The attackers broke through the iron grills, snatched the priests' mobile phones, handcuffed them and gagged their mouths with cloth. They then proceeded to beat the priests severely, threatening to kill them with knives held at their throats. "The miscreants attacked the priests brutally with iron rods, crowbars, hockey sticks and other lethal weapons and dragged them to the rooms, handcuffing them and tying up their mouths with clothes and demanding whatever money they had," stated a release from the Catholic Diocese of Rourkela. After the vicious assault, the robbers ransacked the premises for nearly an hour, stealing over Rs 10 lakh (approximately $11,958) in cash, including funds collected from students

As followers of Christ, it is our duty to show compassion to those in need and advocate for those who are suffering persecution. Despite their distance from us and our unfamiliarity with them and their cultures, we must not overlook or disregard those bravely enduring the impact of injustice in our world. India stands out as a troubling hotspot of minority persecution and religiously motivated killings. It’s been heartbreaking to witness the increase in crimes committed by Hindu extremists over the past few years, thanks to the rule of the Hindu supremacist political party in the country. It is even more concerning how these groups of extremists and religious oppressors have managed to align politically with certain U.S. conservatives. Donald Trump garners praise and admiration from Hindu supremacists in India, just as there are fervent supporters of India’s prime minister Narendra Modi within conservative U.S. circles. It is imperative that we crush this malevolent force before its reach extends throughout the United States and the developed West. Killing for Honor The rise of Hindu supremacist extremism has in a way emboldened people to commit religious crimes against minorities, which includes Muslims, Christians, and even Dalit Hindus from lower castes. At a 2022 conference, a

Minority-run institutes will be advised to implement the project as well, the district education officer said. Audiovisual lessons on the Hindu scripture Bhagavad Gita are set to become a mandatory part of morning assemblies in 650 schools in Ahmedabad district, reported The Indian Express. Gujarat education minister Praful Pansheriya on Tuesday launched the “Vidyarthi Jeevan Pathdarshak Banshe Shreemad Bhagavad Gita” project, which means “Bhagavad Gita will become a guide to student life”. In February, the Bharatiya Janata Party leader had tabled a resolution in the state Assembly to make the Bhagavad Gita a part of school curricula for classes 6 to 12. The resolution was passed unopposed. Over 3,000 teachers will begin their training for the “Vidyarthi Jeevan Pathdarshak Banshe Shreemad Bhagavad Gita” project this week. “It will apply to all schools – government, grant-in-aid and private,” Krupa Jha, the district education officer for Ahmedabad Rural, told The Indian Express. “Even as we cannot force it, the minority-run schools will be advised to implement the project in their schools too.” The project is “based on the ancient and rich Indian enlightened heritage”, Pansheriya said in a social media post on Tuesday. “Based on selected 51 verses of the Gita, this project is designed as a unique initiative

Yet another Indian state has announced plans to enact a draconian anti-conversion law, which is often used to harass Christians in the country. The pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the northwestern state of Rajasthan disclosed its intent to curb religious conversions in an affidavit filed before the Supreme Court, the country's top court, on June 18. The affidavit was filed in response to a public interest litigation by Delhi-based lawyer and BJP Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay seeking stringent steps by federal and state governments to control fraudulent religious conversions, which he called “a nationwide problem.”The petition alleged the involvement of Christians in fraudulent religious conversion. Eleven Indian states, most of them ruled by the BJP, have enacted the draconian law, ironically named as freedom of religious acts. But Rajasthan “lacks a specific legislation” to curb conversions, according to the affidavit filed by the state government. After defeating the secular Congress party, the BJP formed a government in Rajasthan in December last year. “There is no doubt enactment of an anti-conversion law will make Christians vulnerable to hardline Hindu groups,” said a Catholic priest based in Rajasthan.According to Christian leaders, Hindu nationalist groups and activists may misuse the anti-conversion law to target them with impunity. “Laws

Christian and Muslim groups in India have expressed concern over attempts to change history in favor of the ruling party’s pro-Hindu ideology by revising school textbooks. The latest disquiet started after the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), which functions under the federal education ministry, released its revised grade 12 political science book last week. The book referred to the 16th-century Babri mosque, built by Muslim invader Babar, as “a three-domed structure.” It was also silent about the pro-Hindu campaign that led to the mosque demolition in 1992 and the resultant Hindu-Muslim riots that killed thousands. “History cannot be changed as per one’s whims and fancies,” noted A C Michael, national coordinator of the United Christian Forum (UCF), which tracks violence against Christians in the country. Michael added that some crucial details are missing in the textbooks for students “who are the future of this country.” More than three decades ago, the pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of Prime Minister Narendra Modi campaigned throughout the country with a rath yatra (chariot tour) for building a temple at the site of the mosque in Ayodhya town, considered the birthplace of Hindu lord Ram. The campaign was concluded when thousands of Hindu zealots demolished the ancient mosque. India’s Supreme

New Delhi Indicating a significant policy shift, the newly formed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Rajasthan has announced its intention to introduce fresh legislation on religious conversion. The Bhajan Lal Sharma-led government filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court on Tuesday, stating that while the state currently lacks specific legislation on religious conversion, it is actively working on drafting a new law. Until the legislation is enacted, the state will strictly adhere to existing laws and any guidelines or directions issued by the Supreme Court, it added. “The State of Rajasthan does not have any specific legislation with respect to conversion from one religion to another

BINGHAMPTON, N.Y. — At its June 1, 2024 meeting in Binghampton, NY, the New York Conference of the United Church of Christ unanimously passed a resolution condemning violence against religious minorities in India, which include Christian organizations and individuals as well as other religious minorities, including Muslims. The New York Conference of the United Church of Christ (UCCNY) resolution begins by addressing the plight of over 40,000 people, 250 churches, 1,700 homes, and 120 people who have been killed as a result of Hindu nationalist policies propagated by India’s ruling BJP in the state of Manipur. The New York Conference is the first in the UCC denomination to pass such a resolution, following soon after the United Methodist General Conference became the first denominational body in America to pass a similar one in April 2024. “We want to publicly care for Christians and not only Christians, but other religious minorities who are suffering, and look at the root causes of that suffering in the Indian subcontinent. That should matter to every congregation in New York and around the nation,” said Rev. Dr. Marsha Williams, Conference Minister and Ecumenical Officer. The Conference resolved to stand in solidarity with the National Council of the Churches