India News

By Felix Anthony

Kharsang, Mar. 14: A group of 300 people from a remote corner of Arunachal Pradesh made a walking pilgrimage of 16 Kilometers to pray for the release of Fr. Stan Swamy and other Human Rights Activists arrested on dubious charges and for restoration of normalcy in Myanmar on 13 March 2021.

Organizing the event, Father Felix Anthony, the Pastor incharge of the Sacred Heart Church in Neotan village of Changlang district, explained to the participants the purpose of the four-hour walk. “We have gathered only for one reason – to pray. Today we have so much to pray for. We pray for all innocents arrested and are languishing in prison on unfounded charges. We pray specially for Fr. Stan Swamy, an octogenarian Jesuit Priest with Parkinson disease, prominent poet Varvara Rao, Vernon Gonsalves, Arun Ferreira, Sudha Bharadwaj and many who have worked for the upliftment of the poor in the society”, he said. “We also turn our thoughts to the poor farmers protesting in the Delhi-Haryana border region for months against the Government’s new farm law regulations and pray for a peaceful solution to the concern of the farmers. We also hold the people of Myanmar in our prayers. The people of our neighbouring country are going through turmoil against the military coup”, he listed the objectives of the long walk.

The walk was part of the people’s Lenten penance in preparation for Easter. The community decided to walk to the nearest Church dedicated to St. Joseph to mark the year dedicated to St. Joseph.

The walk began from a local market in Kharsang at 5.30am and went through the villages praying the Rosary and Divine Mercy Chaplets and reached Rajanagar in Bordumsa sub-division of the district at 10am.

The 300 participants were from 10 villages around the district. Two of the villages were adjacent to the conflict torn Myanmar. The youngest participant of the walk was six year old and the oldest was 60 year.

Upon reaching the destination, the pilgrim made the Way of the Cross and proceeded to celebrate Holy Mass officiated by Father Rajesh Lakra sdb, the Parish Priest of Rajanagar.

“This pilgrimage is a reminder of our life pilgrimage towards God”, said Miss Junem Langching, a youth leader. “Making this Pilgrimage on a day Pope Francis was elected Pope is like icing on the cake. We pray for our dear Papa”, she added.

“It was indeed a deep experience of God’s love”, said Tumen Mossang, a catechist of a substation under the parish.

The pilgrims hope that their prayers will bear fruit in the form of release of Fr. Stan and other human rights activists and with the restoration of normalcy in Myanmar and a peaceful solution to the farmers’ protest.