Source: www.csw.org.uk
Date: July 16, 2022
‘The Lord bless you and keep you… the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.’ (Numbers 6:24, 26)
Join us in praying this blessing over Christians in India today.
In recent months, disagreements over places of worship have significantly raised religious tensions, yet we trust God to bring peace where there is division.
Pray for action to resolve an ongoing dispute
A few weeks ago, around 12,000 Christians took part in state-wide protests across Arunachal Pradesh. They were calling for a swift resolution to a dispute about a church reconstruction, which had been ongoing for years.
The church reconstruction began in 2015, but was stopped in 2020 by two local Buddhist groups, who claimed the building was illegal.
A government committee was set up to investigate the issue and submit a report within six months, but the church had to wait 19 months for the report to emerge. It advised the church to comply with a 2009 Supreme Court ruling, which states that ‘no unauthorised construction’ of places of worship should take place on public land.
However, this Supreme Court ruling also mentions that the state would look into matters on a case-by-case basis for structures that existed before 2009, which is the case here. (The church has stood on the same plot since 1999.)
Please pray that the state government will investigate further and come to a fair ruling about the future of the church building. The Arunachal Pradesh Christian Forum – who organised last month’s state-wide protests – emphasised that the church had been running smoothly since its inception, without obstructing the movement of people or encroaching on public spaces.
In summary, please pray:
- That the government of Arunachal Pradesh will act swiftly and justly to resolve this dispute.
- That the church will be able to worship freely and safely, even as they wait for a decision about their building reconstruction.
- For tolerance, peace and unity in Arunachal Pradesh, and all other states where debates about places of worship are causing tensions.