Lockdown: Mizoram celebrates Palm Sunday behind closed doors

For the Christian believers across the world, Palm Sunday is a significant day that marks the beginning of holy week that culminates with Easter Sunday. But this year it is being celebrated without a congregation due to the coronavirus pandemic, and Mizoram is no exception.

Children from all churches in Mizoram, accompanied by their teachers in Sunday school, would take out Palm Sunday processions early morning carrying palm leaves, and the chant of Hossana would echo across cities, towns and villages.

For the first time the Christians in the state, like their counterparts elsewhere in the world, could not visit churches and remained indoors due to the ongoing lockdown to contain the spread of novel coronavirus. Although Palm Sunday was observed within closed doors as churches are closed across the state, its sanctity as an important day was visible among the people as in the past," Synod moderator Rev R. Lalchangliana of the Presbyterian church said.

As decided by the respective local churches, programmes of the Palm Sunday celebration this time were chalked out by each local or village level task force, involving local or village council and Young Mizo Association (YMA). The programmes were arranged in such a manner as to involve every household to celebrate the occasion from their respective houses.

We chalked out the programmes to ensure that every household takes part in the celebration by chanting Hossana together at a time from their houses, Malsawmkima Ralte, a YMA leader of Luangmual Vengthlang said. As morning set in, the states anthem (religious song) Ro min rel sak ang che reverberated from the public information centres in various localities.

People came out to the porches, verandahs or roof tops of their houses carrying palm leaves while some carried pieces of cloths in place of palm leaf. Once the anthem stopped, a preacher of each locality asked the people to chant Hossana and shout at their top voices to commemorate the entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem. The chanting of Hossana was followed by a short sermon by the preacher on a public address system from the public information centre.

Speaking on the participation of people, R. Lalchangliana said, It give me immense joy at the response of the people even as Palm Sunday processions and church services could not be held. My heart melted and tears rolled down my cheek when I heard people from all walks of life, irrespective of denominations, chanting Hossana in one voice in this time of crisis.

Lalchangliana, who heads Mizoram Kohhran Hruaitute Committee, a conglomerate of 15 major churches in the state, also thanked the churches for joining hands together in celebrating Palm Sunday. Commenting on the event, sports minister Robert Romawia Royte said, While it is painful to see all churches closed and no processions by children on Palm Sunday, the celebration on the other hand is indicative of the adaptive, discipline and law-abiding culture of our people. Mizoram Law Commission chairman Lala Khobung also appreciated the manner in which Palm Sunday was celebrated by the people.

The Mizo people are law-abiding citizens. It is a great thing that Palm Sunday is celebrated by respective households by strictly observing social distancing norms, he said.

Image Credits: PTI