Church leaders Offer Peace Building Measures in Assam

  13 August,2012

Bongaigaon: The Inter Church Peace Mission (ICPM) has proposed an action plan for peace and suggested relief and rehabilitation measures in the strife-torn districts of Assam. 
 
The ICPM executive body suggested the plan in its report submitted to the district commissioner of the affected Chirang and Kokrajhar districts yesterday. 
 
ICPM had in its Goodwill Mission covered over 20 relief camps in the two districts on August 3 and 4. 
 
The delegation comprised Lutheran Bishops Nityanand Borgoyary and Sulen Narzary, Catholic Bishop Thomas Pulloppillil of Bongaingaon and ICPM members Kiran Borgoyary, Benjlaigray Moshahary and Anando Moshahary. 
 
They apprised the officials about the ground situation and stressed the need for confidence building measures for peace and amity in the affected areas. 
 
Clashes between indigenous Bodo tribesmen and Muslim settlers from neighboring West Bengal and Bangladesh have killed some 65 people and rendered more than 400,000 homeless who are in 235 relief camps. 
 
Kokrajhar District Commissioner Jayanta Narlekar requested the Christian leaders to take initiatives for counselling the victims to overcome the shock and prepare the communities to live together. 
 
The Chirang District Commissioner Puru Gupta suggested the ICPM to be an agent for Peace building. 
 
“Please help us to form peace committees with leaders from various communities living in the Bodoland and arrange for peace meetings and awareness,” said Gupta. 

source:ucanews
The ICPM has also appealed to various non-governmental organizations worldwide to extend help in overcoming the crisis.