Friday, July 4, 2014

Presbyterian Church asks local churches to hold mass prayer

Mizoram Synod of the Presbyterian Church of India has asked all the local churches to organise mass prayer on Sunday night on the issue of prohibition.

The powerful church which was against replacement of the existing prohibition law, in a statement said, the Presbyterian church prohibited its members from indulging in alcohol for a hundred years and the church's stance remained the same.

The church statement came in the wake of the proposed relaxation of prohibition by the Mizoram government by introducing a new bill in the coming assembly session commencing on July eight.

The state government intended to introduce the Mizoram Liquor (Prohibition and Control) Bill, 2014 in the state legislature on July 10 replacing the Mizoram Liquor Total Prohibition Act, 1995, in force in the state since February 20, 1997.

The church also wanted continuation of the dry law in Mizoram to ensure public peace and tranquility, the statement said.

The Presbyterian Church's Synod Executive Committee (SEC) on July two had sought the help of major NGOs to take up the matter by protesting against the proposed relaxation.

However, the church did not go ahead with its proposal to take out a procession as the NGOs expressed their decision not to support the church in organising the protest procession.