Meghalaya Cherry Blossom: Christian bodies call out end of festival on Sunday

Shillong: The outcry over the decision to conclude the upcoming Shillong Cherry Blossom Festival on a Sunday sees no end as the Meghalaya United Christian Forum (MUCF) has now come out to urge the Meghalaya government to shift the proposed concluding programmes to any other day to respect the sentiments of Christians in the state.

MUCF chairman Rev. Batkupar Dunai in a statement issued to the media said that the Forum believes that every day is a gift from God, but Sunday is a holy day of public worship for churches of various denominations except for certain church groups that worship on a different day.

“With regards to the Cherry Blossom Festival as seen in the news to be concluded on Sunday, the MUCF would heartily appreciate the State government to shift the proposed concluding programmes to any other day graciously respecting the sentiments of lakhs of Christians in Meghalaya,” said Rev. Dunai. He also requested the state government to consider the sacredness of Sunday as the divinely appointed day for churches to solemnly conduct prayers for Christian believers, undisturbed by distractions such as “extravagant events”.

Dear Reader,
Over the past four years, EastMojo revolutionised the coverage of Northeast India through our sharp, impactful, and unbiased coverage. And we are not saying this: you, our readers, say so about us. Thanks to you, we have become Northeast India’s largest, independent, multimedia digital news platform.
Now, we need your help to sustain what you started.
We are fiercely protective of our ‘independent’ status and would like to remain so: it helps us provide quality journalism free from biases and agendas. From travelling to the remotest regions to cover various issues to paying local reporters honest wages to encourage them, we spend our money on where it matters.
Now, we seek your support in remaining truly independent, unbiased, and objective. We want to show the world that it is possible to cover issues that matter to the people without asking for corporate and/or government support. We can do it without them; we cannot do it without you.
Support independent journalism, subscribe to EastMojo.

Thank you,
Karma Paljor
Editor-in-Chief, eastmojo.com

SUBSCRIBE HERE

‘Drought’ amid flood: Despite rains, Guwahati citizens thirst for water

Still India’s sporting powerhouse: Manipur athletes fight for normalcy

Beyond Pride, the dreaded reality: Why attacks on Assam’s transpersons are rising

Mizoram: How a science centre became home to Kuki, Meitei orphans from Churachandpur

It may be mentioned that the Shillong Cherry Blossom Festival is scheduled to be held from November 17 to 19 at Madan Kurkalang, Bhoirymbong.

Since November 19 falls on a Sunday, at least two groups have demanded rescheduling of the closing day to another day.

Also Read | India-Malaysia joint army exercise begins in Meghalaya