Morung Express News
Dimapur | August 27
With the controversy generated by the issue, the Nagaland BJP today performed the immersion of the ashes of former Prime Minister Late Atal Bihari Vajpaye in an unmanned river, according to a media report.
BJP’s Nagaland unit chief and the Minister for Higher and Technical Education, Imna Along Longkumer said the immersion was performed quietly in an unnamed river in Dimapur district without hurting the sentiments of anyone, The Hindu reported on Monday evening on its website.
“Protests outside the BJP’s office in Dimapur, the State’s commercial hub, in the morning necessitated the change of plan,” the report said.
A BJP leader said the immersion was done in one of the smaller rivers beyond the municipal limits of Dimapur, it added.
The Morung Express had earlier reported that buckling under pressure, the BJP Nagaland unit on Sunday shelved its proposal to immerse the ashes at Doyang River.
The decision of the BJP State unit to go ahead with the immersion of the ashes continued to be met with stiff opposition from different quarters on the grounds that it is against the culture and religious belief of the Nagas.
Besides the state’s Congress party (Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee), the Lotha Hoho, apex body of the Lotha tribe, and the Nagaland Joint Christian Forum (NJCF) on Sunday expressed their opposition to the immersion.
A protest rally was also held today at Wokha Town over the issue. The Lotha Baptist Churches Association (LBCA), Lotha Baptist Churches Pastors Conference (LBCPC) and Lotha Hoho jointly organized the public rally at Police Point, Wokha to express resentment over the proposed immersion.
According to The Hindu report, the BJP workers were asked to gather at the Dimapur party office at 9 am, but since the protesters started gathering in the area by 8 am, making it clear the immersion would not be allowed to take place within the town, it was shifted.
“This [protest] should not have happened. Atalji is a national icon and should not be association with any religion. The State BJP’s minority morcha had taken the lead in immersing the ashes. As Christians, we all prayed in the presence of priests,” the Minister was quoted as saying.
However, the report could not be independently confirmed by The Morung Express. When contacted, most of the Party’s functionaries either said that they were out of town or not authorize to talk on the issue.
Several calls and a text message to the Minister regarding the matter remain unanswered till the filing of this report.
