Leaders, priests send out peace message

SHILLONG: The Christmas message this year is for peace and tranquility in Meghalaya in particular and the Northeastern region as a whole.
Protem Chancellor at the Archbishop House, Fr Jimmy Marngar, said the state, region and the country, in the recent past, has witnessed a lot of protests and agitations and now in Christmas, he stressed the need to achieve peace.
He also said that Christmas is all about being generous and giving up negative feelings.
Fr Joby Joseph, SDB, St Anthony’s College, said Jesus Christ has given the gift of peace, love and joy to this world and “we need exactly that” at the moment.
Echoing similar views, Congress MLA Ampareen Lyngdoh said this is a time of big challenge for the entire region and there is a huge prayer for peace.
She said when there are protests, anti-social elements often hijack it. So she said she would celebrate Christmas praying earnestly to Jesus Christ to not only bring peace and prosperity in the country but also to deliver a sense of responsibility to the people of the state at a time when they are at a cross roads of democratic changes.
“I pray that 2020 will be a much more peaceful year and see the conglomeration of leaders on similar page because if forces continue to fight with each other in this country, we will all not do justice to the country all of us love. May God grant every family of the country, region and the state, peace, health and humanity,” she added. The call for peace and tranquility assumes significance as the state and the North East have witnessed large scale violence and protests in the recent past over the issues of Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, which is now an Act, and Inner Line Permit.