As the UN declares caste-based discrimination a human rights violation, Indian Christian leaders have called on the churches to confess that the caste system has not been fully removed from their own communities.

According to an Indian church worker, the violence against Christians in the Indian state of Orissa last year was not a one-time event but the consequence of a fragmented society. However, the recent elections give fresh hope.

The National Council of Churches in India has joined the battle to turn green by calling for Christians to mobilise in the world's second most populous nation, and to join in the fight against global warming.

Two months after being brutally assaulted by Hindu fundamentalists in the presence of television crews, Indian Christian Pastor Walter Masih says he is determined to continue his ministry.