More than 25,000 Christians repre-senting various denominations gathered at Udalguri town in Assam on March 14 to pray for peace and harmony in the nation. The meeting took place in the backdrop of the northeastern Indian state passing the controversial Assam Healing (Prevention of Evil) Practices Bill, 2024, and attacks on Christian institutions by certain groups ahead of the 2024 General Elections. Udalguri District’s Christian Coordination Committee organized the gathering at the Udalguri Nalbari Play Ground, some 115 km northeast of Guwahati, Assam’s main city. The event aimed to unite people from diverse backgrounds under the common goal of fostering peace and harmony. The 90-minute prayer was attended among denominations Baptists, Catholics, and Church of North India members. The gathering comprised people from different ethnic, linguistic communities of Assam such as Boro, Adivasi (commonly known as Tea Tribes), Santhal, Garos, Rabhas, Nepalis, and the Assamese.
The organizers claimed the spontaneous participation reflected people’s concern and anxiety regarding the need for justice and equal treatment of all citizens in the matters of faith, culture and practices. Reverend Susil Daimari, secretary of the Church Growth Department at BBC, in his message, stressed the urgent need for peace and harmony in the nation. The participants collectively prayed, focusing primarily on justice, peace and harmony across the nation. The prayers reflected the collective desire for a more unified and peaceful society, the organizers said.