A bid to construct a church of a denomination different from the one most of the households adhere to has landed a few inhabitants of a remote Meghalaya village in trouble.
Eight of some 200 households in Tongseng, a village 30 km from East Jaintia Hills district headquarters Khliehriat, follow the Church of Pentecost. They have allegedly been under pressure since 2016 from other villagers who are Presbyterians.
Members of these eight households have allegedly been intimidated, humiliated and denied government benefits provided through the traditional village body for not converting to Presbyterianism.
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The situation reportedly worsened a few days ago when the eight families got together to build a Pentecostal church. Enraged, the others allegedly burnt their cowsheds, destroyed their farm produce and uprooted standing crops.
“We could not bear the atrocities any longer and approached the Deputy Commissioner, who sent the police to restore order in the village,” Saitkhuid Bareh, head of one of the affected families, said.
Hul Bamon, the headman of Tongseng village reportedly behind the “punitive action” against the eight families, remained incommunicado.
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“Three women representing the affected families came to me a few days ago. We have asked the villagers to settle the matter amicably and told the women to complain if they are deprived of government benefits,” Maham Singh Lhuid, Deputy Commissioner of East Jaintia Hills district, told The Hindu .
Ms. Bareh said the local village body has gone to the extent of denying their children residential certificates needed for admission in school. The eight families are also not allowed to travel in vehicles owned or driven by the Presbyterian villagers.