Sept 26, 2013: A crowd of 5,000 people of an entire tribe, jostled for space in the
Ziro parish compound in the North eastern State of Arunachal Pradesh, on September
19 for the golden jubilee celebrations of the first baptisms of three school boys,
from the Apatani tribe. The three baptisms turned out to be landmark in the history
of the Church in the state.
Fortunately, all the three Joseph Tage Moda, William
Tage Tatun and Athanasius Roto Tajo - who were baptized in 1963--were present at the
solemn celebration of the jubilee of the historic baptism. They were indeed the cynosure
of all the eyes, and occupied the front seats.
Some 40,000 Apatani people inhabit
the Ziro plateau in Arunachal Pradesh state, which was forbidden for missioners for
decades. Government controlled the outsiders' entry through special permission known
as "inner-line permit." The government implemented this policy by denying the missionaries
the mandatory permit. It also openly harassed those had embraced Christianity irrespective
of Baptist, Catholic or Evangelical churches.
The three young students had
gone looking for a missionary school in the town of North Lakhimpur in the neighbouring
state of Assam and came in contact with the Italian Missionary Fr. Luigi Cerato and
got baptized on June 1, 1963. On their holiday trips to Arunachal, they encouraged
other young boys and girls to seek education provided by the missionaries in the various
schools of the neighbouring states of Assam and Meghalaya.
A good number of
those who left Ziro for these missionary institutions returned as baptized Catholics.
Though the teenager boys had no missionary support in their homeland, they kept their
faith alive and turned into student apostles. They launched the Morning Star Society
to coordinate their religious activities and common celebrations like Christmas. In
the course of time, the Government changed its policy and the missionaries were allowed
to enter Ziro.
The Catholic parish at Ziro was set up in 1997 with Fr. Sebastian
Ayilookunnel as resident parish priest. Ever conscious of their chequered past, the
members of the Morning Star Society came together to celebrate the golden jubilee
of the first baptisms from their tribe. Their enthusiasm was manifest in the crowd
of 5,000 Catholics that flocked to the small parish campus, clad in their finest traditional
attire and holding high their heads, decorated with floral festoons and flags fluttering
in the wind.
At the solemn high mass concelebrated by three bishops and 40
priests, Retired Bishop Robert Kerketta of Tezpur, in his homily recalled the struggles
of the infant church among the various tribes of Arunachal Pradesh.
Joseph
Tage Moda, one of three who were baptized in 1963, had retired from the post of Director
of Fisheries of the Government of Arunachal Pradesh. I firmly believe that all these
good things happened in my life only because of God’s blessings, added Moda. William
Tage Tatun, who took the lead to set up the Morning Star society recalled how after
conducting a picnic with the three rupees they trekked the jungle path from Lakhipur
to Ziro during holidays. Athanasius Roto Tajo admitted that he never thought his decision
to get baptized was so historic. Now I am amazed to see the opportunities that have
been opened to our tribe because of our decision fifty years ago.
Parish priest
Father Xavier Musahary had organised several retreats and weekly adorations to prepare
his people for the great jubilee. I cannot think of a more vibrant parish to work
in. I can see that the people value and treasure their faith. They are willing to
make any sacrifice for it. Church attendance is always more than ninety percent, he
said.
A heavy shower in the midst of the felicitation function did not dampen
their spirits. In fact, the parish priest spontaneously stepped on the dais and led
the people in prayer to the Lord who calmed the storm on the lake Gennesarath. To
the joy of the gathering, the storm passed off in a few minutes.
The first
baptisms from the Apatani tribe were also significant for the other tribes of Arunachal
Pradesh. The Government, by opposing Christianity, unwittingly helped more people
to find out this forbidden fruit. The result: the Catholics in Arunachal Pradesh now
number to 200,000 in a population of some 900,000 people, predominantly tribal people.