By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
Guwahati: A Joint Peace Mission Team comprising Church leaders of Assam and Nagaland, who have been constantly working to bring normalcy at the trouble torn Assam-Nagaland border met Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi to apprise him about the recent development.
The Church leaders from Catholic and Protestant churches during the meeting on Tuesday evening apprised the Chief Minister about the peace initiatives undertaken by them in the trouble-torn areas along the Assam-Nagaland border. They said status quo has to be maintained at any cost and that the problem has to be viewed from humanitarian perspective.
The Chief Minister agreed and said the State government is for maintaining status quo along the inter-state border and that the people displaced during violence must be rehabilitated.
At least 15 villagers were killed during the latest spell of violence along the Assam-Nagaland border in August this year. It also left thousands displaced as houses were set on fire by miscreants.
The church leaders said the peace process has to be carried out at the grassroots level and the involvement of the gaon burahs (village headmen) is a must for reconciliation and ushering in durable peace along the inter-state border.
They also opined that while an early political solution to the disputed areas would take more time, the reconciliation process among the people living along the border is of utmost necessity for peace to prevail there. “It is high time for better sense to prevail and to acknowledge the fact that ‘one has to live together; no one can live in isolation’,” Gogoi said.
The church leaders told the Chief Minister that efforts are on to allow the displaced Adivasi people to harvest. Hailing the move as a step in the right direction, Chief Minister Gogoi said the displaced people should not only be allowed to harvest but also to re-settle in the places where they belonged to. “The task of rehabilitation of the displaced people living in the relief camps should be completed as soon as possible. We seek the cooperation of one and all, including the church leaders towards this end,” he added.
A peace prayer was held on the occasion joined in by the Chief Minister, wherein the church leaders prayed for early restoration of peace and normalcy in the affected areas.
The delegation of the Joint Peace Mission team consisted of Archbishop Thomas Menamparampil, Reverend Dr. Kavito Zhimomi, Reverend Kari Longchar, Reverend Amos Humtsoe, Reverend Soloman Rongpi, Reverend R. Lalnunzira, Fr. Romanus, Elder FJ Mairom, Atango, Meru, Satyajit Das, Amrit Goldsmith and Allen Brooks.