Church pleads against demolition at RIMS
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, April 01 2012:
With the authority of the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (Rims) giving a 15-day deadline to dismantle two Church buildings constructed within the institute's complex, leaders of the two Churches have urged the State Government to intervene and stop the proposed demolition process.
A memorandum to this effect was submitted by committee leaders of the two ChurchesLamphel Baptist Church (LBC) and Rongmei Naga Baptist Church (RNBC) �to the newly inducted Home Minister Gaikhangam and Health Minister Phungzathang Tonsing on Friday.
The two Ministers, who are devout Christians, said that they would look into the matter to safeguard the two worship places after consulting the matter with Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh.
In its memorandum, committee leaders of LBC said the Church was established by the employees of the erstwhile Regional Medical College (RMC) now Rims in 1973 at an empty space surrounded by the nurse quarters of the medical institute.
The Church has been serving as a prayer house and other aspectsreligious gathering, training centre for learning ethics, moral etc since its establishment and seventy percent of the employees occupying the nurse quarters are members of the Church.
On Thursday, committee members of the two Churches were summoned by Rims authority and were asked to decide within fifteen days to either dismantle the Churches by them or the authorities will demolish the two worship places.
During the meeting, the Rims authority also asked the committee members to furnish supporting documents, if any on April 16 .
The LBC memorandum urged the Government to stop the proposed demolition of the Churches saying that Rims benefits from the Church as prayer, which is meditation reduces or kills stress of its employees.
It said the issue of aconstruction of Church and other place of worship in public places is still pending before the Supreme Court and till date no order has been passed to demolish Churches constructed in public places.
Rims said the present site of the two Churches is an area where residential quarters, college of nursing, dental college and AYUSH will come up soon.