TURA: Have faith and miracles will happen is what political leaders are assuring the electorate before the big fight on February 27. But one miracle happened even before the voters in the state made their choice.
Chief Minister Mukul Sangma and NPP national president Conrad Sangma was seen together in a religious function at Rajasimla in North Garo Hills on Sunday. That the two political arch rivals exchanged niceties and shook hands posing for the lensmen was nothing short of a miracle in this sizzling election season.
While politics made them the worst enemies, faith brought them together at the celebration for the 150 years of the arrival of the Baptist church in Garo Hills.
Celebrating the journey of Christianity in Garo Hills at the 144th annual A’chik Baptist Dalgipa Krima Sobha was one of pure nostalgia for many as devotees, besides the two high-profile guests, from the length and breadth of Garo Hills, the North East and as far as Bangladesh with even delegates from the US and South Korea taking part in this unique religious event.
Over 3 lakh faithful assembled for a slice of history as they took part in this event marked by nostalgia and hope.
The theme of this year’s celebrations aptly titled ‘Revisiting the past and envisioning the future’ sought to take back the faithful, particularly the youth, to a journey back in time.
Addressing one of the biggest gatherings of people at the Sunday church service on the final day of the five-day event, speaker and executive secretary of Krima IV Rev. Dilseng M Sangma of the Wadanang Baptish Church (Tura) called upon everyone to praise and give thanks for the Lord’s blessings.
Rajasimla, a non-descript town in North Garo Hills, had its first brush with history a century and a half ago when the uncle and nephew duo, Omed Watre Momin and Ramke Watre Momin, responded to the call of faith, which marked the advent of Christianity in the region.
Today, 150 years on, the Christian faithful have returned to the place where the seeds of Christianity were planted with the conversion of the uncle-nephew duo. The first church was built at Rajasimla.
The Baptism of Omed and Ramke, the first among the Garos, at Sukeshwar Ghat in Guwahati, marked an event. It has since become a landmark in the history of Garo Hills as the tribe steeped in animistic belief turned to heed to the words of Christ, a movement which gained momentum as decades passed by.
The toils and triumphs of Omed and Ramke along with the missionaries like Miles Bronson and David Scott have since become part of both history and folklore. This advent of faith was also accompanied by the advent of education in Garo Hills with the setting up of the first primary school at Singimari in 1826.
As a solemn ritual, this event is celebrated every year to recall the services of the pioneers and pay tribute to them.
As the faithful bid adieu to Rajasimla they will carry in their minds memories to cherish and in their hearts a promise to keep alive the kindle of faith.
Devotees injured in road accident
Five pilgrims, including a child, heading to the A’chik Baptist Dalgipa Krima Sobha at Rajasimla in North Garo Hills were injured after their vehicle veered off the road and dashed against a tree on Sunday morning.
The devotees were coming from Kherapara village in West Garo Hills and were travelling in a hired vehicle. According to sources, the driver fell asleep on the wheel and lost control.
The injured were rushed to the nearest health centre.
Rajasimla is hosting the biggest annual religious festival for the last time before the Sobha moves to a permanent site in West Garo Hills.
