The leaders of various Churches in north-eastern India have expressed deep pain and anguish at the recent violent incidents that shattered peace in Shillong, capital of Meghalaya State.

Heads of the United Christian Forum and the North East Christian Council met on June 6 in Guwahati to review the situation and seek ways to restore peace and harmony in the city, known as the Scotland of the East.

They met amid attempts by certain section of the media and groups to project the incidents as clashes between Christians and Sikhs in Shillong.

Meghalaya is one of the three Christian-majority states in northeastern India.

The leaders are “concerned at the continued tension that prevails due to fear, mistrust and circulation of fake news,” says a press release issued by Allen Brooks, spokesperson of the Northeast unit of the United Christian Forum.

The Church leaders have requested their people to pray and work for peace. They also appealed to all concerned people to shun violence and “seek the path of dialogue” to find a lasting and peaceful solution to an age-old problem that triggered the latest violence.

The Church leaders also resolved to cooperate and support all efforts at peace building, Brooks told Matters India.

Meanwhile Archbishop Dominic Jala of Shillong too denied that the incidents had any communal color.

“The present disturbed situation in Shillong arose out of an incident that was initially resolved,” the Salesian prelate told Matters India on June 6.