ES Reporter

ITANAGAR, Jul 4: Disappointed by the lackadaisical attitude of the state government over the Tawang Church issue, the Arunachal Christian Forum (ACF) informed that a mass meeting on the matter will be held at the state capital comprising district and block levels Christian leaders on July 16 next where further course of action will be decided.
Addressing the media persons at the press club today, Secretary-General ACF Tarh Miri  said that the Chief Minister has directed the Tawang district Deputy Commissioner to act on the matter according to the three-member committee report to resolve the matter.
We welcome the statement of Chief Minister Pema Khandu to resolve the contentious Tawang church issue amicably. However, ACF also stressed that the forum absolutely differs with the three-member committee report on the matter terming it as biased.
It is a well-known fact that the forum has already rejected the committee report. Moreover, the allegation over the encroachment of government land and relocation of the church is not justified, added Miri.
“The entire report is biased and not justified. Therefore, we appeal to the Deputy Commissioner Tawang to refrain from acting upon the report. Likewise, we also appeal to the DC not to carry out the eviction drive even if the time frame of six months provided for relocation in the report passes by,” he said.
Meanwhile, Former VP-ACF James Techi stated the ACF also disagrees with the statement of the CM who suggested for talks with the locals of Tawang for land donation. According to the CM, the land belongs to the locals and it should be donated by them for any kind of developmental activities in the district.
“The land in Tawang is government land, as the land of other districts too. Hence, his (CM) statement to ask for permission from the locals for land in the district does not make any sense unless there is any such law under the department of land,” he said.
Why are the Gompas, Hindu temples, Gurudwaras being built and functional in the state capital, when the entire land belongs to the Nyishi tribe of Papum Pare district, he questioned.
“The state government nor the district administration never sought permission of the locals of the district to build places of worship here in Itanagar,” he said, adding that the forum is also optimistic that the matter is resolved amicably and at the earliest. 

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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