Church elders demand action against Tai-Khamti leaders

ITANAGAR, Dec 23: The Papum Pare unit of Arunachal Pradesh Christian Revival Church Sub-Council (APCRCC), Area-1, today expressed displeasure over the turn of events and media reports on the unfortunate incident that occurred at Namsai in Lohit district on December 19 last. In a statement this evening, the unit denied the allegation that the site for construction of the church was in a public place. It said the proposed site is at least 1 km away from Namsai town and does not fall in the vicinity of the highway. The APCRCC claimed the land was legally purchased from one Podma Doley, a resident of the area since the British era, at the cost of Rs 1 lakh by APCRCC with the sole aim of constructing a church to facilitate local believers to be in touch with God. The transaction was finalized on 2nd May, 2009 construction started thereafter by local believers. It alleged that on December 1 members of the Tai Khampti Students Union and Tai Khampti Singphow Council destroyed the erected structure. Narrating the sequence of events that led to the violence on that day, the Council claimed that on December 18, believers from Itanagar reached Namsai to evolve a solution to the impasse and help in construction of the Church. The next day, EAC G Singpho called the leaders of APCRCC to his office for talks with TKSC led by Barodoi Namchoom along with senior leader C T Manpoong. It, however, alleged that instead of sitting peacefully for talk, the believers were abused and assaulted in presence of the EAC. “In such a scenario, as a right-thinking, god-fearing and peaceful organization, we believe it is our basic right to raise questions on the behavior and humiliation meted to us,” it said in the statement and demanded the arrest of TKSC Secretary Barodoi Namchoom, termination of EAC G Singphow, intervention of Chief Minister and Home Minister to end the impasse, arrest of local students’ union leaders for assault and immediate construction of the Church. THE SENTINEL