Bangalore, India, 20 July (ENI)--Thousands of Christians in India's southern state of Kerala have held a silent protest march in the town of Thodupuzha after attackers severed the arm of a Roman Catholic professor because of an alleged insult to Islam. "We are anguished over the fact there seems to be a deep-rooted conspiracy behind this diabolical act," the Rev. Mathew Kochupurackal, chancellor of the Catholic diocese of Kothamangalam, to which the professor and his college belong, told ENInews on 20 July.

Kochupurackal said that the 17 July silent march represented concern that key suspects are still at large despite the attack having taken place in broad daylight. T.J. Joseph, a professor at the town's Newman College, was attacked on 4 July, when he returned by car to the college compound with his mother and sister, who is a nun, from Sunday Mass. After blocking the professor's car, the assailants, said to belong to an Islamic group called Popular Front, pulled Joseph out of the vehicle, stabbed him and cut off his right arm.

Joseph is a professor of Malayalam, Kerala's mother tongue. He had previously been involved in controversy after Muslim protesters attacked the Catholic college, where he works, and claimed that one of the questions Joseph had set for an exam was derogatory to Islam. The academic remains under a suspension the college imposed following the protests, and has publicly apologised for, "hurting unintentionally" Muslim sentiments.

Police have arrested several people in connection with the attack on Joseph but church leaders say the authorities have failed to apprehend the key suspects. Philip N. Thomas, secretary of the Kerala Council of Churches, which groups 12 Orthodox and Protestant churches, said his group had expressed concern about a, "conspiracy behind the crime, and organized support to carry it out".

One of the most literate states in India, Kerala is known for its communal harmony; it has a population of 35 million people who between them profess three major faiths. Hindus account for 56 percent of Kerala's people, Muslims make up 24 percent, and 19 percent are Christians. [360 words]

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Bangalore, India, 16 July (ENI)--The governor of southern India's Karnataka state, where most of the recent atrocities on Christians have been committed, has paid tribute to the Christian contribution to national life. "We are privileged to have so many Christian institutions to bring dignity of life and knowledge to the poor," said Hansraj Bhardwaj in an 8 July address at the concluding celebration of the centenary of the United Theological College in Bangalore, Karnataka's state capital.

"Christians have truly followed the message of love preached by Christ by serving the people with the spirit of sacrifice in this country," noted Bhardwaj, who was the law minister in the federal government before he assumed the office of governor in July 2009. Despite accounting for only 2.3 percent of India's 1.2 billion people, he noted that Christians run nearly 20 percent of the educational, primary healthcare and social welfare centres in the country.

Bhardwaj pointed out that he was shocked when the Christian community came under a series of vicious attacks in 2008-9 - with the state government controlled by the Bharatiya Janata Party or BJP, which has been accused of having a Hindu nationalist agenda. This, he pointed out, forced him to speak out against the anti-Christian violence. Some Christians say his tough talk had an impact as incidents of anti-Christian violence subsequently were reduced.

Since the BJP assumed office in May 2008, the state had recorded more than 200 attacks on Christians, the highest number of any state in the country during the period. Extremists who "preach hatred and violence" in the name of religion ", are spreading darkness", added the governor.

Addressing the closing centenary gathering, UTC principal the Rev. John Samuel Raj said that the theological college, which was started on 8 July 1910 with eight students and one classroom, has helped the Indian Church "stand on its feet". True to its united name, he noted that the college now has students from 80 church denominations in India among the 200 students on its roll.

"The seeds of ecumenism (in India) were sown by UTC and it was the catalyst behind bringing the churches closer," the Rev. K. C. Abraham, a church theologian associated with UTC since 1971, told ENInews. The Church of South India, which was formed in 1947 in a merger of Anglican, Methodist, Congregational, Presbyterian and Reformed churches, originated from the "ecumenical living experience at UTC", Abraham pointed out. Similarly, the formation of the Church of North India in 1970 was inspired by this experience, he added. [431 words]

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Bangalore, India, 7 July (ENI)--A gathering of women theologians in India has expressed concern over discrimination against women pastors and those with theological training. "Ordination is often denied [to us] on flimsy grounds. Even if we succeed in getting ordained, we are not assigned duties as pastor but are posted as Bible [studies] women and hostel wardens," decried the women in a statement issued following their 22-26 June seminar. More than 40 women theologians and officials from theological colleges from across India took part in the seminar entitled "Feminist Theologies: Stocktaking and moving beyond". It was organized by the women's studies department of Bangalore's United Theological College to mark its centenary.

"Theologically trained women, especially those who are qualified in women's studies, find few takers for their qualifications. We work as teachers in schools or, if in a theological institution, we are asked to teach subjects like English or ethics," the statement noted. Several women delegates at the conference commented about the "disappointment and neglect" they face in their churches after undertaking theological education with much enthusiasm.

Rini Ralte, chairperson of Women's Studies Department at UTC, said in an interview with ENInews, "I was shocked to hear from one of our students that she was bluntly asked by her church head: 'Why did you take up women’s studies? You could have taken up some other subject'." Arenla Longkumer from Nagaland, who also completed her MTh in 2006 with the dream of becoming a pastor, said, "I have to wait. In our church, women have to put in 10 years of service [in whatever posts they are assigned] before they are considered for ordination."

The Rev. Evangeline Anderson Rajkumar, dean of doctoral studies at UTC, told ENInews, "We're really disappointed by the response of the churches to ordination and empowerment of women in the churches. Some churches ordain women with much fanfare. But, the marginalisation they face after ordination is shocking. It's really frustrating for us to hear that many of them are virtually unemployed." [346 words]

[COURTESY TO ENI AS SOURCE]