Tawang church issue: Arunachal Christian Forum (ACF) rejects recommendations

Itanagar: The Arunachal Christian Forum (ACF) has rejected the recommendations submitted by the three-member committee on the contentious Tawang Church issue to the state government claiming that the report is biased and is not justified to the Christian community of the state.

Addressing the media persons at the press club here today, ACF president Toko Teki has appealed to the State government to come up with a proper report and mechanism to resolve the issue. Following the failure to resolve the matter in time, the state-wide peaceful protest as announced by the forum on June 18 will continue.

He said that the forum had a thorough discussion on the recommendation and came to a final conclusion that the report has placed the Church in a bad light by terming it as an encroacher and destroyer of public property.

Teki said that the Church is at no point being constructed in a public place. Therefore, the point of not adhering to the Supreme Court's order is not at all valid as there are no public streets, public parks or any public places in the place of Church construction.

"Likewise, the point for the relocation of the Church is also not justified. The committee has not mentioned the regularization of the Church. However, the forum accepts that recommendation to withdraw the criminal case filed against the Church authority," he said.

Meanwhile, ACF general secretary, Tarh Miri said that the forum would have accepted the claim if the committee could have provided the forum with substantial documents that the Church is being constructed in a public place.

He said terming the Christian community as an encroacher and destroyer of public property in the committee report is unacceptable. Also, the suggestion to the state government to act on the matter by invoking various decisions of the Supreme Court is impertinent in the Tawang Church issue.

"The committee has imprudently and deliberately bypassed the legal and historical facts and figures regarding the present status of the Church by concluding it by stating an Anti-Church establishment," he said.

ACF claimed that the church has been functioning for two decades. It also claimed that the Church land had been legally acquired and approved by the district land board management.

The forum has also written a letter of rejection to the committee report to Chief Minister Pema Khandu and appealed to resolve the matter amicably.

The six-point recommendation of the committee stated that there should be strict compliance to the apex court order over authorized construction in the name of the temple, mosque and church etc in public places, complying with the 'The Unauthorized Religious Structures (Regularization, removal and relocation) Policy, 2010.

Reasonable time to be granted for re-location of the Church, withdrawal of criminal cases, application of the 'The Unauthorized Religious Structures (Regularization, removal and relocation) Policy, 2010' and protection of religious structures constructed in legally acquired land under Article 25 & 26 of the constitution of India.

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