India: freedom of belief a sorry joke

India takes up turban issue with France
NEW DELHI: India on Thursday again took up the issue of ban on Sikh turban in France with foreign minister S M Krishna insisting before his French counterpart Alain Juppe that the turban was a symbol of dignity for Sikhs. While Juppe said that the ban was not discriminatory, he proposed a dialogue over the issue of implementation of the French law which prohibits public display of religious symbols.

news.yahoo

The Vatican on Thursday asked Hindus to fight "hateful propaganda" and allow Christians to practise their religion freely, in a message delivered to mark the upcoming festival of light, Diwali.

The message, signed by the head and deputy head of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious dialogue, Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran and Pier Luigi Celata, comes as the number of Christians persecuted in certain regions of India rises.

From the state of Orissa in the east to Kerala in the southwest, the conversion of Dalit or Untouchables to the Christian faith has sparked violence, with groups of extremist Hindus attacking Christians and their churches.

The letter also came a week before a meeting of religious leaders to be hosted by Pope Benedict XVI in Assisi in Italy. Seven Hindus, including Rajmohan Gandhi, the grandson of Mahatma Gandi, are expected to attend.
Kerala: U.S. evangelical pastor William Lee expelled
Mumbai (AsiaNews) - The American evangelical pastor William Lee will be expelled from India today for violating the rules governing the tourist visa, having participated in a religious festival. Christians criticize the decision and point out that the tourists who visit Hindu temples, do not undergo the same treatment. The expulsion was decided by Judge A. Ijas, of the court of Ernakulam (Kerala). In addition to deportation, Lee will have to pay a fine of 10 thousand rupees (about $ 205) and can no longer set foot in India.
Karnataka, six more Christians in prison for forced conversions
Mumbai (AsiaNews) - In the district of Coorg (Karnataka), six members of the Full Gospel Church Christians are in prison, accused of practicing forced conversions. Local police arrested the men on a complaint filed by a group of activists from the Sangh Parivar (Hindu ultra-nationalist movement), who attacked the Christians as they prayed. "This is the 37th anti-Christian incident in Karnataka since the beginning of the year - says Sajan K George, president of the Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC) – it reflects the growing extremism in the country and it is an embarrassment for secular India."
from wiki:
The Chera kings' dependence on trade meant that merchants from West Asia and Southern Europe established coastal posts and settlements in Kerala.[32]:192–195, 303–307 The west asian-semitic [33] Jewish, Christian, and Muslim immigrants[33] established Juda Mappila, Nasrani Mappila, and Muslim Mappila communities respectively.[33][34] The Jews first arrived in Kerala in 573 BC.[35][36] According to local Syriac Nasrani Christian tradition as well as the works of scholars and Eastern Christian writings Thomas the Apostle visited Muziris in Kerala circa 52 CE to proselytize amongst Kerala's Jewish settlements.[37][38] The first mosque, synagogue, and church in India were built in Kerala.