The International Association of Religion Journalists (IARJ) is launching a series of dialogues on religion and politics. We bring together journalists from different regions to share their stories and also the challenges they face in reporting them.

A Global Plus report on the use of cows as religious symbols by Hindu extremists to pursue their nationalist cause, sometimes with violence as a result. The report was written by Uday Basu, coordinating editor of The Statesman, a national daily newspaper published simultaneously in Kolkata, New Delhi, Siliguri and Bhubaneswar.