Dimapur, July 25 (MExN): The Anatongre Village Union Dimapur (AVUD) has affirmed that it is not against any religion or denomination but building a church without the consent of the village authority is a direct challenge and also breaking the rules of the village.
A press note issued by the President of Anatongre Village Union Dimapur, N. Yutsu Tiokhir and General Secretary Y. Kiumong Tikhir, on behalf of the Anatongre citizens residing in Dimapur stated that the village has nothing against any of its citizens residing in other towns from practising any religion as long as it is not brought within the village’s physical jurisdiction. “In a strict sense, the village is not for the Baptist denomination too. In fact, the general opinion of the people is that if there is consensus, the whole village can join Catholic or any other religion en masse but not partially” stated the note. AVUD reasoned that “since it is a nature of most humans to practise groupism/ sectarism within each group/circle, it is feared that having two or more denomination in the village will create groupism in the village and it will directly have adverse effect on the unity of the village.”
The Union has issued a declaration of facts over the July 9 incident at Anatongre village, regarding the removal of the ‘Under Construction Catholic Church’. The note said that some months back, some villagers joined Catholic and tried to convert as much villagers as possible luring them with the promise of establishing a school and other privileges. The village held an emergency meeting on April 10, 2010 to discuss this matter and requested the Catholics of the village to re-consider. The villagers also re-affirmed to stand by its laws.
“The so-called Catholics in Anatongre village blatantly started scheming in secret to build a Catholic Church in the village which was a direct challenge to the authority of the village in addition to breaking the rule of the village. Then on May 21, 2010 while the villagers were in the midst of a big Revival Crusade in the village, the so-called Catholics in Anatongre village started land levelling for building the Catholic Church without he approval of the Village Council, which was a complete insult and contempt to the big Revival Crusade going on in the village, which greatly hurt the sentiments of the citizens of Anatongre Village,” it stated.
In view of this, the citizens of Anatongre village held a public meeting on July 9, 2010 and the mass public of Anatongre village removed the building which was under construction and was meant to be the Catholic Church. Moreover, the Village Union in the note has claimed that none of the “Catholics residing in village had received Baptism/ reception/ conformation” from the Catholic Church. The village has also issued notification to the eight “so-called Catholic members in Anatongre village on July 28, 2010 to obey the laws of the village or to face the punishments laid down by the village”.
So in this issue the Anatongre citizens’ of Dimapur requested everyone not to create problems in Anatongre village without knowing the inner problems and pains of the village. It stated that, as it is the village is suffering groupism problem within the village and doesn’t want another groupism problem created due to division of religion.
