Saurav Bora
Tura: Growing intolerance and attacks on Christians in other parts of the country is a cause of concern for Church leaders here in Garo Hills.
“Church leaders here are apprehensive of the growing intolerance against Christians even as the current atmosphere in Garo Hills is peaceful and normal. People of different communities in Garo Hills have respected each other all these years,” Fr Theodore T. Sangma, Parish priest at the Sacred Heart Shrine in Lower Wadanang here told The Shillong Times on Sunday.
Fr Theodore, who spared time for this correspondent in the middle of Soba, an annual conference of Catholics, also termed the trend of religious intolerance as “dangerous”, ruing the fact that it has almost compelled people from the Christian community to be “subdued” and “affiliate with political parties”.
“It is unfortunate that people have been compelled to be lenient towards their religious faith and instead align themselves with political parties. This is a fallout of the growing levels of intolerance against Christians in the country,” the parish priest said.
Archbishop of Shillong Archdiocese, Dominic Jala too had recently stressed the need of peace and harmony among all sections of people while denouncing intolerance.
On the “winds of change” blowing in the political arena of the state with the Assembly elections just a few weeks away, Fr Theodore said, “A change of government is required.”
He cited an example of the neglect on the part of the government towards South Garo Hills, saying, “It is just 109km from here to Baghmara. But the road to that place is the worst of its kind. “Chief ministers from Garo Hills, be it Capt. Williamson Sangma or Dr Mukul Sangma, have done precious little to improve the condition of the road,” the Church leader rued.
Asked about the BJP, which has been accused by opposition parties of “dividing India in the name of religion, food habits and customs”, making inroads into Meghalaya and even Garo Hills, he said there was a strong preference here for regional parties to form the government.
“But whether the chief minister is from Garo Hills or Khasi/Jaintia Hills, all we want is a leader of the people,” Fr Theodore said.
On the context of militancy waning substantially in Garo Hills and the Church playing a vital role for it – a fact confirmed to reporters by the Meghalaya DGP recently – the Church leader, who is also chairman of Shalom Meghalaya, said that under the banner of the campaign, which strives to strengthen and sustain peace, we have brought several militants to the mainstream.
Shalom Meghalaya is a joint initiative of the Catholic Church and Garo Baptist Church with various other faiths as its stakeholders.
“But of course, we are grateful to chief minister Mukul Sangma for his support in getting funds for the campaign,” Fr Theodore added.