
Kerala Churches offer prayers for country
Churches in Kerala offered special prayers for the country as it faces an 'unprecedented crisis and threat of war.' In an appeal ahead of Sunday (May 11), Catholicos of the Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church Baselios Thomas I urged Church members to pray for the nation and offer special prayers after the Sunday Mass.
Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church Raphael Thattil, in his appeal, said that as citizens, all Indians must pray for peace to prevail in the country.
He added that while the country's leaders kept vigil alongside soldiers, every citizen must pray for the nation, the soldiers safeguarding it, and those living in fear along the borders.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Wire
an hour ago
- The Wire
UN Report Highlights Deep Contrasts Behind India's Population Numbers
Representative image of a woman with her children. Photo: PTI New Delhi: A United Nations report argues that beyond India's population numbers lies a crisis of individuals unable to achieve their desired family size. The UN Population Fund's (UNFPA) 2025 State of the World Population report found one in three adult Indians (36%) have faced an unintended pregnancy. Nearly a third (30%) have struggled with an unfulfilled desire for children. The report states 23% of Indians surveyed have experienced both. The report, 'The Real Fertility Crisis,' calls for a shift from focusing on population figures. It states the 'real crisis… is not underpopulation or overpopulation,' but the failure of systems to support 'a person's ability to make free and informed choices about sex, contraception and starting a family.' It also says that India's population is estimated to have reached 146.39 crore by April. While India has a national replacement-level fertility rate of 2.0, the UNFPA highlights a 'high fertility and low fertility duality.' This reflects disparities, with states like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh having higher fertility rates than states such as Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The report links this to unequal access to economic opportunity, healthcare, education, and regional gender norms. Findings from a YouGov survey across 14 countries show financial concerns are the primary obstacle for Indians, with nearly four in ten citing it. Job insecurity, housing constraints, and a lack of reliable child care also contribute. The survey found 19% of Indian respondents – the highest of any country – said their partner wanting fewer children was a key factor. Andrea M Wojnar, the UNFPA India Representative, said : 'India has made significant progress in lowering fertility rates… thanks to improved education and access to reproductive healthcare. This has led to major reductions in maternal mortality… Yet, deep inequalities persist across states, castes, and income groups.' Wojnar added: 'The real demographic dividend comes when everyone has the freedom and means to make informed reproductive choices. India has a unique opportunity to show how reproductive rights and economic prosperity can advance together.' The report illustrates this with a story of three women from one family in Bihar. The grandmother, married at 16, had five sons due to social pressure and lack of contraceptive knowledge. Her daughter-in-law had six children despite wanting fewer. The granddaughter, a university graduate, has chosen with her husband to have only two children, citing the need for a secure future. The UNFPA advocates for 'demographic resilience'—adapting to population change while upholding human rights. For India, it recommends a holistic, rights-based approach. The report calls for expanded access to sexual and reproductive health services, including infertility care; investment in childcare and housing; inclusive policies for unmarried individuals and marginalised groups; better data on bodily autonomy; and social change to challenge stigma. The UNFPA argues that focusing on population numbers misses the point, suggesting a nation's success is measured by whether its people can build the lives and families they desire. The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.


India Gazette
2 hours ago
- India Gazette
11 years of Modi govt full of lies, unfulfilled promises: Rajasthan LoP Tika Ram Jully
Jaipur (Rajasthan) [India], June 11 (ANI): On the 11th anniversary of the Modi government, Tika Ram Jully, leader of the Opposition in the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly, slammed the government, saying that the past 11 years have been filled with lies, mislead, and harassment of the common man. Jully criticised the government for failing to fulfil its promises, including providing 2 crore jobs every year, depositing Rs 15 lakh in people's accounts, bringing back black money, cleaning the River Ganga, and making diesel, petrol, and LPG cheaper. While speaking to ANI on Wednesday, Jully said, 'Look, the 11 years of Modi ji have been full of lies, misleading the public, harassing the common man. The promises made to the public, whether it is the promise of giving 2 crore jobs every year, or the promise of depositing 15 lakhs in the accounts, or the promise of bringing back black money within 100 days, or the talk of cleaning the Ganga Maayya, or the talk of making diesel, petrol and LPG cheaper, or the talk of making the dollar equal to the rupee. Or the talk of ending corruption and terrorism, all remained unfulfilled. Whether it is doubling the income of farmers, giving concrete houses to every poor, hundreds of such promises were made by Modi ji, none of which were fulfilled. Not even one came to reality.' The Leader of Opposition in Rajasthan also questioned the government's focus on 2047, saying that the public had given them only 5 years to work. 'Now they have started talking about who has seen 2047. The public had given you 5 years; you have to work within that. Today, you have started talking about 2047, but the public did not give you the opportunity to 2047. Tell us your action plan for the next 5 years, so that the public gets relief,' Jully demanded. Julie further criticised the government's foreign policy, citing Operation Sindoor and the treatment of Indians in the US. The LoP also praised Indira Gandhi's courage, implying that the current government lacks the same level of leadership. 'You saw Operation Sindoor, no country in the world stood with us. Modi ji did so many foreign trips in 11 years, despite that, not even a single country stood with us. Now our children who have gone to America they being treated like terrorists. Pakistan is getting support everywhere in the world, but people are not standing with us. This is a serious issue; only talk will not work, you will have to show it by working. One should have courage like Indira Gandhi ji,' he said. (ANI)


India Gazette
2 hours ago
- India Gazette
"Opposition has to play very constructive role": BJP MP Daggubati Purandeshwari
New Delhi [India], June 11 (ANI): BJP MP Daggubati Purandeshwari, who was part of an all-party delegation on Operation Sindoor on Wednesday, called on the opposition to play a 'very constructive role' and 'speak as countrymen', 'The Opposition has to play a very constructive role. Suppose there was anything that was a miss in this entire Operation Sindoor, it would have been nice if the opposition leaders had constructively brought it up and told the government that this is not enough; you probably could have done that. They may think that it is their duty to confront the government, but this Operation Sindoor was because 26 innocent civilians were killed. I think their opposition should understand this. They should rise above the party politics and speak as countrymen...' Purandeshwari told ANI. Her assertion came after Prime Minister Modi himself met with the members of the seven Parliamentary delegations that had been sent to multiple key partner countries. She further said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was keen to know other countries' responses to India's stance on terrorism. On meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Purandeswari told ANI, 'We thank PM Narendra Modi because he has actually met all of us, soon after we came back from the diplomatic tour that we had undertaken... He met us in small groups, and he interacted with us. He was very keen to know what the reaction of the other countries was...' The BJP MP asserted that the all-party delegations represented people cutting across party lines and spoke as Indians. 'When we went on a diplomatic delegation, we did not go as individual parties. So there is no question of somebody being an opposition leader or anything of that sort. We all went as Indians. We all went to a place before the international community, the cause of India and how India was suffering from terrorism...' The delegations, consisting of MPs from across party lines, former MPs and distinguished diplomats, highlighted India's stand against terror and commitment to world peace during their visits to various nations. Seven groups of all party delegations, including Opposition MPs such as Supriya Sule of NCP-SCP, Shashi Tharoor of Congress party, AIMIM chief Asaddudin Owaisi, and former ambassadors, completed their diplomatic efforts to visit various world capitals and promoted India's policy of zero tolerance against terrorism. The delegation was launched post Operation Sindoor, India's response to the Pahalgam attack in Jammu and Kashmir, in which 26 tourists were killed. Over 50 people, including members of Parliament from multiple political parties, former ambassadors, and former government officials, visited over 30 countries as part of India's diplomatic outreach post Operation Sindoor. (ANI)