By Our Reporter
Shillong, Dec 30: Tourism Minister Paul Lyngdoh condemned the action of social media influencer Akash Sagar, who shouted pro-Hindu slogans inside a church at Mawlynnong village.
Lyngdoh told reporters the incident reflects on the politics of extreme Hindu sentiments which spread across the country in the past few years.
Lamenting the incident, he said it is an attempt by people who want to promote Hindu fundamentalism to disturb peace and harmony in the state.
According to him, the entry into the church and the effort to forcibly enter the Mawjymbuin cave at Mawsynram are indications that there is an attempt to create religious disharmony in the state. “This is part of the Hindu fundamentalism which we need to oppose,” Lyngdoh said.
He appealed to various religious denominations and groups to remain alert and check whom they are allowing to enter their churches.
He mentioned that people are frisked when they enter churches in other parts of the world. He believed the incident in Mawlynnong will wake up the churches.
Stating that entry into a church is within the control of a particular religious denomination or group, Lyngdoh said it has no relation with the government.
“As the government, we are firm that we will not allow any religious fundamentalist to take advantage and create a bad name for the state,” he said.
To a query, he said the DGP has already stated the police have identified the person. “Let the law take its own course,” Lyngdoh said.
On the HYC’s plea to the state government to come up with a standard operating procedure (SOP) for tourists visiting religious sites in Meghalaya, he said the religious or tourism sites are not under the control of the government.
According to him, the government only helps facilitate development in the various sites. He said Dorbar Shnongs, societies and youth organizations are responsible for looking after those sites.
“The role of the government is only to create infrastructures at these sites and ensure there is law and order. It is the stakeholders or societies who have to enforce the SOP and share it with the government,” the minister added.