Beware Pizza is a "villain" :::: Smoking was the "cancer villain" of 20th century, eating ultra-processed food may be its 21st-century counterpart

Stop celebrating kids' birthday parties with Pizza.

Eat more yoghurt and fewer ultra-processed foods.

!!

Yoghurt is a nutritious food, providing protein, calcium, and probiotic bacteria that support gut health.

Go for Srikhand and curd !!

The increase in the incidence of cancer is real and global, rising from approximately 94,700 cases in 1990 to 225,736 in 2019. A study across Europe found that for those aged 20-29, incidence rose 7.9% per year between 2004 and 2016, with the rates increasing by 4.9% in those aged 30–39, and 1.6% in the 40-49 group in roughly the same period. 

Examples of ultra-processed foods can include:

ham and sausages

mass-produced bread, breakfast cereals, instant soups

crisps and biscuits

ice cream and fruit-flavoured yogurts

carbonated drinks and some alcoholic drinks including whisky, gin, and rum.

What is of deep concern is that everyday items such as breakfast cereals and mass-produced or packaged bread are also considered ultra-processed foods.

Not only is colon cancer increasing in every age cohort under 50, the growth rate is highest in the youngest group. Modelling suggests that early-onset colorectal cancer could double every 15 years in Australia, Canada, the UK and the US.

And the evidence that ultra-processed food is implicated is growing: a major study published in the British Medical Journal looked at three large US cohorts to examine the association of ultra-processed foods with the risk of colorectal cancer. 

One of these cohorts involved more than 46,000 men, tracked over 24 to 28 years. Compared with the group that consumed ultra-processed food the least, the risk of those who consumed the most of developing colorectal cancer – even accounting for nutrition and weight – was 29% higher.  

Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are industrial food products made from food extracts, isolates, and additives rather than whole ingredients, characterized by extensive processing, high levels of added sugar, fat, and salt, and often containing unpronounceable ingredients like stabilizers, emulsifiers, and flavorings. Examples include sugary sodas, packaged snacks, commercial baked goods, ready meals, and some breakfast cereals. 

Research links high UPF consumption to increased risks of obesity and other diet-related illnesses.  

Ultra-processed foods typically have more than 1 ingredient that you never or rarely find in a kitchen. They also tend to include many additives and ingredients that are not typically used in home cooking, such as preservatives, emulsifiers, sweeteners, and artificial colours and flavours. These foods generally have a long shelf life.  

Given the high salt, sugar, and saturated fat content of most of these foods, cutting down does seem sensible.  

Diets high in ultra-processed foods have been linked to disruptions in insulin signalling, chronic low-grade inflammation and alterations in the gut microbiome, all of which are mechanisms implicated in cancer development. What we eat affects how our cells grow, how our immune systems function and how our gut bacteria – which help regulate inflammation and immunity – behave. 

Emulsifiers, additives and artificial sweeteners commonly found in ultra-processed foods have been shown in animal studies to promote intestinal inflammation and tumour growth. Meanwhile, the lack of fibre and protective phytochemicals (health-promoting compounds found in plants) in these foods can alter the gut microbiome needed for the body to function optimally.  

It took decades but we now accept that tobacco causes lung cancer, and that alcohol raises the risk of breast and liver cancer. 

The next decade may see the inclusion of ultra-processed foods as a key risk factor for colorectal cancer, particularly in young adults.

Yogurt and curd are not exactly the same; yogurt is fermented with specific, standardized bacterial cultures like Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus.

Curd (Dahi) is a broader term for a home-fermented dairy product that uses a mixed, less defined set of bacteria or even acidic substances like lemon juice. 

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Congress party's 'Vote chori' charge will be put to test in Bihar polls ::: But Caste to play vital role for the battle of Patna

Caste to play a vital role in Bihar polls. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is banking a lot on "populist scheme" of Vote-chori and electoral revisions to help restore its former glory. 

The Election Commission has said that "ineligible electors" removed from the draft list stood at 3.66 lakh.

It said 21.53 lakh eligible electors were added to the draft list taking the total in the final rolls published on September 30 to 7.42 crore voters.

Bihar assembly elections are round the corner. Despite having his party's and his father Lalu Prasad Yaday's name tainted by a number of scandals, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav is tipped to be the next chief minister if BJP-JD(U)-LJP combine is humbled.

Tejashwi is 39 and hails from the dominant Yadav caste. Around 35 percent of those polled in a recent  survey chose Tejashwi Yadav as "the most preferred candidate to be next Chief Minister of Bihar". However, there is a five percent drop in the popularity since February this year.  

The BJP has been massaging the collective ego of the Hindu community by linking all the games to patriotism. Caste matters a lot but Bihar's politico-caste game is always an unsolvable puzzle. 

Traditionally, the saffron party has been generally sympathetic to anti-Naxal militia Ranvir Sena and its leader Brahmeshwar Mukhiya.

Brahmeshwar is a Bhumihar chieftain. Thus, BJP traditionally has been also the first choice of the Bhumihars. 

In 2015, the Lotus party had fielded 18 Bhumihars as against over 30 Rajputs, who had always stayed away from Bhumihars and BJP.

As it is from 2014 itself, Bhumihars were unhappy over BJP's alliance with pro-Dalit LJP. In the past too Rajputs as a caste flocked to the RJD chief Lalu Prasad after Congress lost sheen so much so that the RJD in 2009 had four Lok Sabha MPs - three were Rajputs.  

There is another of looking at the caste equations for power in Patna.  

The rise of Dalits and EBCs is perhaps the most significant transformation in recent decades. Together, Dalits (19.65 per cent) and EBCs (36 per cent) make up more than half of Bihar’s population. 

Once fragmented, they are now asserting a distinct political identity.  The Paswans, or Dusadhs (5.3 per cent) has a loyal Dalit vote base for Chirag Paswan.

The Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) uses this to bargain for seats in alliances. Chirag is a minister in the Modi cabinet in Delhi and thus LJP is a key NDA constituent.

 

The EBCs are a powerful but heterogeneous bloc. No longer subsumed under OBC politics, they demand separate recognition, reservation benefits, and representation. 

They could be decisive in close contests even as the sub-caste rivalries sometimes fragment their strengths.   

The Bhumihar population constitutes about 2.86 per cent of Bihar's total population. 

Historically, landowners and education-builders, Bhumihars were central to Congress-era politics. They produced leaders like Shri Krishna Sinha, Bihar’s first chief minister, and dominated the administration.

 

Post-Mandal, many drifted towards the BJP, which crafted an upper caste-OBC coalition. In districts along the Ganga belt, Bhumihars continue to be influential, even if their statewide clout has diminished.

 

 

In terms of popular face; Nitish Kumar is the face of NDA. But he is growing in age pretty fast. 

Dust plumes waft above poorly maintained roads. Things have changed a lot since Nitish came to power rising a strong anti-Lalu wave in 2005. But as in most regions of the country; the conditions of the roads appears like a scar in many places.

But governance improved under Nitish and he is also called 'Vikas Purush' - the development man. But he has crossed his prime. 

The surveys suggest a "fluctuating trend" in Nitish Kumar’s popularity. In February opinion poll, around 18 percent had chosen him for the CM post. This number dropped to 15 percent in April, rose to 18 percent in June and again declined to 14 percent in August.

Now it is around 16 percent in September 2025. 

The BJP is banking on the "Narendra Modi" factor, which is drawing diehard fans of the BJP leader and prime minister to vote for its candidate irrespective of that person's religion, caste or other merits as a politician.

This is on top of the BJP's pro-Hindu slant.

"People are proud of the party's pro-Hindu ideology," - is the refrain of many BJP leaders. 

Will Prashant Kishore emerge as a dark horse ?

Political strategist-turned politician Prashant Kishor's popularity as the most-favoured Chief Minister shot to 23 percent in the latest C-Voter opinion poll.

It was 21 percent in August, 18 percent in July and 14 percent in February. The real battle could be triangular and this has made things more difficult to predict.  

The poll managers in both the Congress and the BJP in many parts of the state believe the respective party can retain "traditional support base among upper-caste voters".

The big challenge is to win over neglected sections of the Dalit people. The Congress has organisational weakness and this gives the Lotus party a huge advantage.  

The RJD continues to bank on Yadavs and Muslims, the JD(U) relies on Kurmis, EBCs, and non-Yadav OBCs, and the BJP combines upper castes with sections of OBCs and Dalits. 

Yadavs, at 14.27 per cent of Bihar’s population, are the single largest OBC group. 

Concentrated in rural areas and among medium landholders, they gained unprecedented political power under Lalu Prasad Yadav. 

Since 1990, the RJD has relied heavily on the Yadav-Muslim (17-18 per cent) combination. Even today, under Tejashwi Yadav, this coalition remains the party’s backbone. 

 

Though Kurmis make up only 2.87 per cent of the population, their influence far exceeds their numbers. 

Traditionally prosperous cultivators, they invested early in education and organisation. Their most prominent leader is Nitish Kumar, 

Election is more often a Festival : Political supporters wear masks of various candidates in Karnataka: file snap

For Prashant Kishore, a latent change of wave persists. Shopkeepers and taxi drivers speak openly against Nitish Kumar for frequent change of political stance.

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RSS - 100 years - Character Bulilding or Man Making is 'original' RSS mission !! What difference has been made in RSS agenda since 2014 ? --- Answer lies in simple argument that Modi is a Doer .... And he treads "different path" not walked by others

 "According to Bharatiya traditions, all are welcome and accepted. We look at them as ours rather than as the ‘other’....... Despite all our distinct identities, we are all parts of a larger society. As a society, a country, a culture, and a nation, we are united. ......".

- Mohan Bhagwat, RSS chief  

The RSS completing 100 years has a special significance in circa 2025.

Some of our argument will have to be revolving around the politics and personality of Narendra Modi - a former RSS pracharak. The role and title is given to 'bachelors'. 

The element of selfless service is thus inherent.

                   Aug 5, 2020: Modi and RSS chief Bhagwat  performing Bhoomi Pujan to launch the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya 

What difference has been made in the 'RSS agenda' since 2014 ? --- Answer lies in simple argument that Narendra Modi is a Doer.

And he treads "different path" not taken by others. This very approach has made things different.

One charge is India has become 'unapologetically Hindu' under Namo. Well, that is linked to the Hindutva-ideology of the RSS. But the Sangh fountainhead always says Hindutva is not about religion. It is more about 'the entire social structures and unstructured platforms' - that is the Nation.

This obviously makes Bharat difference.

Another charge has been that the 'transformation' in India under Moditva magic spell since 2014 has perhaps produced a "new elite" -- who are pro-Hindu and at times even pro-Hindi.

They detest English and western culture of materialism. But what's wrong in that?

I know of veteran tribal leaders in north east India. They are Christians but they admit how the "dangers of treacherous materialism" have harmed the natives in that region. 

In simple words, PM Nodi has been a great achiever since 2014. One thing has to be admitted from the word Go - that he ia Doer. He is a hard task master and himself 'work oriented person'. There are a few elementary things that should be noted in terms of analysing the roles of RSS and Modi in transforming India. 

He likes to operate like a Chief Executive Officer. He will decide and lead the team from the front and is ready to be made accountable. There are a number of instances he has defended his Babus and colleagues even if the results of some projects and policy decisions did not turn around as was expected. 

But it will be wrong to put up an argument that he does not listen. He takes inputs from ordinary party workers and even a common man on the streets and in bureaucracy even from an always neglected lower ranking clerks. The basic idea is the 'idea' someone is sharing should click in him.

He gets excited with new ideas and hence the RSS agenda of 

Ram Temple and

Abrogation of Article 370 are realities today.

“This is the new social order now. We may not see major upheaval or social destabilization. But in the name of anti-elitism what we have got is anti-intellectualism. More precisely it is anti-liberalism,” West Bengal-based pro-Left social analyst Ramakanto Shanyal said.

 

 I cannot deny that India has changed. 

I know of 'new generation' individuals in Bihar, Delhi and Assam and they have changed a lot. 

They think practical and could be 'communal' to an extent.

Once a fifty plus gentleman narrated stories of his cousins and their children and stated they have grown 'touchy' about mundane things like employing laborers to work in their garden.

“They won’t employ Muslims. This was unthinkable in communist-ruled West Bengal till the nineties,” one gentleman has said. 

But there is no hypocrisy. In Jan 2003, Modi had told a public rally in Mumbai that people should not be scared or shy of Hindutva.

This was within weeks of his winning a major election in Gujarat - the first since the 2002 mayhem. Narendra Modi's style of functioning - that many RSS leaders applaud - is straightforward.

He just does not believe in planning something on paper. He believes in execution of the plan. Former Nagaland Governor La Ganesan, also a former RSS man, knew Modi for decades.

Late Ganesan once said: "I know how sincerely he loves some of his projects. He gets obsessed with some of these ideas such as Swachh Bharat Mission and Make in India. But he will take a different path. 

As MP, I argued with him on one project. I thought he was taking a different line and this may not yield dividends. But within four-six months, I was proved wrong. He has that pushy ability as a Shakha chief. Sometime we have given up those with age. But Modi has not".  

A senior Congressman from north east once told me -- "The RSS has to be happy with Modi. These rumour that RSS is not happy is not true at all. They all have good understanding. 

The RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat may function as a mentor or principal consultant for a project. Then it comes to the next level.... Modi will take over the task as the CEO. Amit Shah is the man made in charge of operations or the so called COO - the chief operations officer. All your journalistic prisms do not see these".   

RSS insiders admit - the bureaucracy and governance system under Jawaharlal Nehru was generally believed to “think in English”.

That has changed. So, South Africa’s anti-apartheid movement or the Vietnam War are no more part of intellectual debates. Of course, not only RSS; a vehement ant-India politics of 'urban Naxals' have also contributed for this.

The youths no longer trust the communists. 

Hence, the debates among youngsters say in West Bengal are now veering towards "provincialism" guided by the Hindu-Muslim narratives.

The Trinamool Congress party's peculiarly shameless pro-Muslim tilt has also done the damage. Mamata knows her regime has lost grip due to corruption and lawlessness and 'syndicate' cultures. Instead of taking corrective steps; she brings the debate to the level of 

--- native Bengali culture versus the "Hindi and Hindu" approaches of the BJP.

The RSS mandate to counter this is strong nationalism pitch and it is going to make impact in 2026.

#Moditva draws up strict line to deal with 

Pakistan and #Pakistanis 

:::: #Defence/Military, #Naval, #Air Advisors in Pak #High Commission in New Delhi declared Persona Non Grata 

Govt unleashed a sweeping diplomatic offensive on Pakistan after Pahalgam terror strike by suspending Indus Waters Treaty, sealing Wagah border. Operation Sindoor was highly successful.

A clever opposition would have handled things differently. But RSS leadership was surprised when Congress started talking the laaguage of Pakistan.

The BJP was more than glad. RSS thought consensus making suffered in the process.  

However, analysts say the political opponents of Modi are also responsible for this scenario. The entire focus in the past 11 years has been on the negativity.

Rahul Gandhi tops that when he does so from a foreign soil.

Tushar Bhadra, a political observer from Modi’s constituency in Varanasi, said - 

'The sensitive phenomenon is not being grasped properly and hence a battle between Bharat (India's traditional Hindi name) and modern India could ensue in the coming years".  

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RSS - 100 Years ::: RSS chief Bhagwat's Vijayadashami message .... -- "Character building - Vyakti Nirman and social transformation is the 'path' for bringing about changes in the world ::::: "Neighbourhood unrest is not a good sign," he notes on Nepal crisis

"Character building (Vyakti Nirman) and systemic change through social transformation is the correct path for bringing about change in the world. This has been the collective experience of Swayamsevaks...," --says RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat in his customary Vijayadashami address.  

This system (of Man makig) was destroyed in our society during the long period of foreign invasion. 

They must be re-established in a manner suited for the present time, within our homes, our education system, and various dimension of society, he said.  

"Democratic movements bring change; violent uprisings don't. They cause an upheaval, but the status quo remains. Check history. No revolution has fulfilled its objective. 

France rose against its king, and Napoleon became emperor. So many so-called socialist movements happened, and all these socialist countries are now capitalist. Anarchy allows foreign powers to play their games," he said.

The ideological parent organisation of the BJP is celebrating its centenary. 

 Founded on 27 September 1925, the initial impetus of the organisation was to provide character training and instil "Hindu discipline" in order to unite the Hindu community and establish a Hindu Rashtra (Hindu nation).

The organisation aims to spread the ideology of Hindutva to "strengthen" the Hindu community and promotes an ideal of upholding an Indian culture and its "civilisational values". 

On the other hand, the RSS has been described as being "founded on the premise of Hindu supremacy".

"We need to create individuals who can undertake this work. Even after mentally accepting this idea, actually bringing it into practice requires changing habits of mind, speech and action. 

A system is needed for this. The Sangh Shakha is such a system.......," he said.  

The RSS chief also touched on the recent unrest in Nepal, where a nationwide movement led to a change in regime. 

"Neighbourhood unrest is not a good sign," he said, referring to the Gen-Z protest in the Himalayan country. 

"The regime change in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and, more recently, Nepal due to a violent outburst of public anger is a concern for us. 

The forces wanting to create such disturbances in Bharat are active both inside and outside our country," he said.

Forgotten Hero of Oct 2nd !! Lal Bahadur Shastri reminds .... popular oneliner of a Hrishikesh Mukherjee film - "Zindagi badie honi chahiye lamb nahi"

Although Lal Bahadur Shastri had been a cabinet minister for many years in the 1950s, he was poor when he died. 

All he owned at the end was an old car, which he had bought in installments from the government and for which he still owed money. 

He was a member of the Servants of India society (which included Mahatma Gandhi, Lala Lajpat Rai, Gopal Krishna Gokhle) which asked all its members to shun accumulation of private property and remain in public life as servants of the people. 

Did Jawaharlal Nehru join this group or his father ? 

As PM; Shasri's stint was very short and yet his regime has a richer legacy than that of Manmohan Singh who was in office for 10 years. 

Shastri was the first Railway minister who resigned from office following a major train accident as he felt moral responsibility. 

Now that element of moral responsibility has gone for a toss !!

There are modern examples when convicted Netas go around the country and speak about many virtues including Corruption and Sickularism.

The biggest tragedy of Bihar polls in 2025 is no body is talking about the infamous Fodder scam.

Kuldip Nayar, Shastri's media advisor from 1960 to 1964, recalls that, during the Quit India Movement, his daughter was ill and he was released on parole from jail. However, he could not save her life because doctors had prescribed costly drugs. 

Later on in 1963, on the day when he was dropped from the cabinet, he was sitting in his home in the dark, without a light. When asked about the reason, he said as he no longer is a minister, all expenses will have to be paid by himself and that as an MP and minister he didn't earn enough to save for times of need.  

Lal Bahadur Shastri is just not a role model in a state like Nagaland. The 'party with difference' shares power in the state with a regional player. In the Bolero-rich state --- cash comes without stating - the regional pride Cock could be "caged" soon.

All these to serve 'regionalism' etc etc !!

This is just an example.

In neighbouring Assam; joblessness and economic hardships haunt people even in the regions which are rich in coal, tea and oil.

That's India for you and us ??

Shastri oversaw highly successful 1965 war against Pakistan 

On 1 August 1965, major incursions of militants and Pakistani soldiers began, hoping not only to break down the government but incite a sympathetic revolt. 

The revolt did not happen, and India sent its forces across the Ceasefire Line (now Line of Control) and threatened Pakistan by crossing the International Border near Lahore as war broke out on a general scale. 

Massive tank battles occurred in the Punjab, and while the Pakistani forces made gains in the northern part of subcontinent, Indian forces captured the key post at Haji Pir, in Kashmir, and brought the Pakistani city of Lahore under artillery and mortar fire.

The India-Pakistan war ended on 23 September 1965 with a United Nations-mandated ceasefire. In a broadcast to the nation on the day of the ceasefire, Shastri stated: 

"While the conflict between the armed forces of the two countries has come to an end, the more important thing for the United Nations and all those who stand for peace is to bring to an end the deeper conflict.... How can this be brought about? 

In our view, the only answer lies in peaceful coexistence. India has stood for the principle of coexistence and championed it all over the world. 

Peaceful coexistence is possible among nations no matter how deep the differences between them, how far apart they are in their political and economic systems, no matter how intense the issues that divide them."

He gave the nation an inspiring slogan, "Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan" (Hail the Soldier, Hail the Farmer). 

His leadership boosted national morale, and his decisive role in the war is considered a significant part of India's modern history, culminating in a ceasefire and the Tashkent Declaration in January 1966, shortly before Shastri's death.  

RSS at 100 : Big Picture :::: Sangh's primary definition of Sangh is linked to 'Nation first' and not to any religion :::: Since 2014, there have been highly successful efforts to mobilise the vast Indian diaspora in support of the RSS

 The RSS follows the ideal of protecting 

Jati

Dharma

Sanskriti.

Here Jati is not caste but the people in general. It is an all inclusive term and guiding philosophy that encompasses all communities and faith of the nation.

The foundational thought and philosophy of the RSS has been to lead the Bharat nation towards "param vaibhav — supreme glory". 

The organisation has been immensely successful to awaken the Hindu society.

At the heart of the Hindu nationalist movement  is the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), 

   

In more ways than one in the last century, the RSS as an organisation has evolved into a force for Hindu Renaissance.  It has focused on man-making and the most contribution lies in elevation of the social, national and intellectual consciousness of the common people.

Hindutva is the predominant form in India   

Hindutva – a term coined in the 1920s in the writings of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar meaning “Hindu-ness” – is the predominant form of Hindu nationalism in India. Hindutva is the belief in the hegemony of Hinduism in India and the establishment of the country as a Hindu, rather than secular, state. Hindus are viewed more as an ethnic, rather than religious, group.

Hindu nationalism is a political ideology that dates back to the 19th century. It encompassed a broad range of groups but at its core is a belief that Indian national identity and culture are inseparable from the Hindu religion.

It began to gain prominence in the early 20th century as part of the independence movement in India, which sought to separate itself from the identity of British colonial rule and the Islamic Mughal dynasty, which had previously governed India from the 16th century.

The RSS is the leader of the “Sangh Parivar’’, an umbrella group of Hindu nationalist organisations who have set up schools, charities and clubs but which have also been associated with communal violence. 

The RSS has been banned three times since it was established.

It was out of the RSS that India’s ruling political party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), emerged and they remain closely linked.  

Addressing an event in Lucknow on January 6, 1948, Patel spoke up for the RSS again. 

“In the Congress, those who are in power feel that, by virtue of authority, they will be able to crush the RSS. You cannot crush an organisation by using the danda (stick). The danda is meant for thieves and dacoits. They (RSS leaders) are patriots who love their country. 

Only their trend of thought is diverted. They are to be won over by Congressmen with love,” Patel said.  

In his authoritative book on the Jana Sangh, titled “Hindu Nationalism and Indian Politics”, B D Graham wrote that the RSS itself was open to the idea of aligning with the Hindu traditionalists within the Congress. 

“The links between the two organisations were more extensive than many suspected at that time: in the months following Independence, RSS workers in the United Provinces had been advised to try to convince local Congress leaders that not only was the RSS not opposed to the Congress but that senior Congressmen were sympathetic to its aims; 

....and, in 1949, a newspaper report from the United Provinces commented on the sympathy the RSS derives from the rank and file of the Congress and also from a section of its leaders,” Graham wrote.

According to Graham’s book, the Congress Working Committee (CWC) even decided on October 5, 1949 that “members of the RSS could enrol themselves as members of the Congress”.  

Blogger 

The RSS has increased footprint both at the mass level and the corridors of influence including education and power ever since Narendra Modi (a former RSS fulltimer) became India's Prime Minister.

"Hindu nationalists" - as they put it - have been rewriting school textbooks in some states and holding training camps for teenage boys and girls in an apparent attempt to inculcate children into their cause. The BJP and the RSS counter version is India's academic character till now has been dominated by Left liberals and deliberately kept anti-Hindu and even anti-India. 

Since Modi and the BJP came to power in 2014, there have been highly successful efforts to mobilise the vast Indian diaspora in support of the RSS and the BJP, particularly in the UK, US and Australia, primarily through the use of social media.

The Sangh has consistently strived to bring about positive transformation in areas such as social service, swadeshi (self-reliance), education, rural development, disaster relief, tribal welfare, and social harmony. 

Why in the first place an American activist and so called influencer Kirk be given importance by Catholics in India ?

Christians in India and more a few Catholic organisations have developed an appetite to hit headlines. In most cases - the instances may be unwarranted controversies.

Web readers and others reportedly questioned "Bombay Archdiocese’s" 175-year-old weekly publication, 'The Examiner', for placing right-wing political activist and influencer Charlie Kirk alongside Catholic luminaries like Saint Mother Teresa and tribal rights activist Father Stan Swamy, among others.

Stan was also highly controversial. He died in jail. He was the oldest person to be accused of terrorism in India. 

Swamy was implicated in the 2018 Bhima Koregaon violence. He faced charge of being being a Maoist "sympathiser". It was alleged that the Persecuted Prisoners Solidarity Committee (PPSC) founded by him and Sudha Bharadwaj, "to fight for the release of around 3,000 men and women who have been labelled as Maoists and imprisoned", was actually a front for Maoist fundraising.

The magazine, taking note of the concerns of its readers on Kirk  published an apology in its Sept. 28-Oct. 3 edition.

“The Examiner has received several letters of protest decrying the inclusion of Charlie Kirk’s picture alongside other Catholic personalities of note that appeared on the cover of the Sept. 20-26 edition,” said Father Joshan Leslie Rodrigues, the weekly's editor.

“We agree with this view, and we apologize to all our regular and faithful readers for the distress it may have caused them,” he added.

Kirk was shot dead on Sept. 10 while addressing students on the campus of Utah Valley University in the United States.

He courted controversy when explaining his positions on issues including Islam, gender and abortion by citing his evangelical Christian faith, and was also accused of anti-Semitism.

In fact, the magazine carried a critical article on him, titled “Charlie Kirk – a polarizing figure – in life and death divided opinion,” which scrutinized his legacy and noted how some of his methods may have lacked compassion.

“It only sought to highlight some of the action he took to advocate for conservative Christian moral values,” Rodrigues explained.

Father Cedric Prakash, a Jesuit priest and rights activist based in western Gujarat state, said that “carrying Kirk’s picture on the cover with equal prominence alongside great personalities like Saint Mother Teresa and Stan Swamy and others was unacceptable.”

He said Kirk’s assassination was shocking and sad, but he cannot be put on the same pedestal as Saint Mother Teresa, who dedicated her life to serving and caring for destitute people.

Kirk 

“We do not know exactly who is a saint and who is in heaven, but we do not put Judas on the altars,” Prakash told UCA News on Sept. 29. Left to him staying close to journalists and to news is Cedric Prakash's favourite past time since 2002 riots in Gujarat.

The Catholic magazine has apologized after being criticized by its readers for featuring the late American right-wing political activist on its cover as one of the “Luminaries of Love & Leadership.”  

Father Joshan Leslie Rodrigues, the weekly's editor. claimed that they did not intend to eulogize Kirk “in death or to prop him up as a model of holiness.”  In fact, the magazine carried a critical article on him, titled “Charlie Kirk – a polarizing figure – in life and death divided opinion,” which scrutinized his legacy and noted how some of his methods may have lacked compassion.

“It only sought to highlight some of the action he took to advocate for conservative Christian moral values,” Rodrigues explained.

A Catholic priest from the Eastern Rite Syro-Malabar Church has announced his decision to resign from parish ministries, refusing to celebrate a liturgy, which requires him to face the altar in part.

Father Augustine Vattoly of the Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly announced he “has decided to discontinue active parish ministries” starting Sept. 14 because he cannot celebrate the Church’s synod-approved liturgy.

The priest’s resignation comes two months after a protracted liturgy dispute was resolved when priests of the archdiocese, who persistently refused to accept the synod-approved liturgy, agreed to celebrate one synod-approved Mass on every Sunday and on major feast days from July 3.