SHILLONG: As Meghalayans prepare to observe Easter Sunday from their homes with Hymns of Prayers, Chief Minister Conrad Sangma has launched an initiative — “Meghalaya Prays” — and has asked all citizens to light a candle, sing and pray for the nation and the world for safety to prevail.
Personalities from North East India have extended their support to the chief minister’s initiative to carry out a movement — “Meghalaya Prays” at 6 pm this Easter Sunday to pray for courage and strength in these troubled times.
The initiative has been supported by top names of the country including boxing legend MC Mary Kom, famous Bollywood singer Papon, musician Anu Malik, ace footballer Bhaiching Bhutia and stand-up comedian Nitin Mirani.
Other personalities who supported the move and appealed everybody to join the initiative are local musician Pauline Warjri and Soulmate band member Rudy Wallang.
All of them have also asked everyone in the country to join the ‘Meghalaya Prays’ initiative at 6pm on Sunday as citizens unite to pray for the world.
Meanwhile, few citizens including Andrew Lyndem and Tarun Bhartiya have petitioned the chief minister asking him to make the event on the Easter Sunday a secular, multi-religious and inclusive event of solidarity.
“We hope that this collective voice respects religious plurality and constitutionally mandated secular traditions of our country. In the time of the COVID pandemic crisis, it is important that all sections of society, of all faiths (and even faithless who acknowledge scientific method) are acknowledged in any event like this,” they said in their appeal.
“Historically we have an example of Mahatma Gandhi, whose morning and evening prayer meetings were multi religious. The hymns sung in those prayer meetings came from all religious traditions and we hope that your constitutionally mandated office respects the secular fabric of our nation and prays in multiple voices, Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhist, Niam Tynrai, Songsarek, Sikh etc. and if possible voices of solidarity of agnostics and atheists,” they added.
