By Matters India Reporter
Tura, June 23, 2023: More than 50,000 students from some 120 Catholic educational institutions in Meghalaya’s Garo Hills on June 23 conducted prayer assemblies for peace in Manipur.
Students of primary, secondary and higher secondary schools and colleges in five districts participated in the event held in response to a call from Bishop Andrew Marak of Tura to to show solidarity with the people of Manipur where ethnic violence has raged since May 3.
Even the Catholic schools in the remotest areas of Garo Hills such as Chimaimpel, Reking, Mangsang, Rongara too joined the action in a unique manner, said Auxiliary Bishop Jose Chirackal of Tura.
Don Bosco College, Tura, and Holy Cross Hospital too organized the peace assembly.
Bishop Marak has also asked all Catholic churches in Garo Hills to hold a similar prayer assembly with candle light procession on June 24.
Bishop Chirackal told Matters India that the peace assembly expressed the students’ solidarity with the people of Manipur, who have endured the prolonged period of violence. The event offered them an occasion to pray for an immediate end to the unrest and the restoration of peace in that northeastern Indian state.
The program also aimed at raising awareness among students about Manipur’s grave situation and the urgent need to halt the violence and senseless attacks on innocent people and their property, including places of worship.
During the prayer assembly, students were enlightened about the ongoing situation in Manipur and the significance of working towards peace, reconciliation, and fraternity.
The students used placards that condemned violence and stressed the importance of harmony, peace, and unity. They expressed their ideas through drawings and painting, guided by their teachers, Bishop Chirackal explained.
The prayer assembly was attended by people of all faiths and denominations. It showcased a beautiful amalgamation of religious diversity, where readings from sacred scriptures were recited, prayers were offered from various faiths and denominations, the prelate said.
They also sang peace songs of St. Francis Assisi and Rabindranath Tagore. The words of “Lord make me an instrument of peace” and “Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake” resounded in the institutions
While most schools held the program in their premises, some took out peace rallies outside. Making of human chains, lighting of candles, giving short messages, and praying in various languages were the highlights of the prayer assembly.
“The peace assembly and rally showcased the power of unity and compassion. It also conveyed a strong message of solidarity and support to the suffering people of Manipur, with the hope that their voices would be heard, and peace would be restored,” Bishop Chirackal claimed.
The event that engaged students of diverse backgrounds and encouraged interfaith cooperation helped foster a sense of empathy, understanding, and shared responsibility among the young generation, he added.