Arunachal: Grand mashal yatra held in Namsai against repeal of Bodh Gaya Temple Management Act 1949

A grand protest rally in the form of a Mashal Yatra was organised at Namsai in Arunachal Pradesh on December 19 against the Bodh Gaya Temple Management (BTMC) Act, 1949, demanding that the management of the Bodh Gaya Temple be handed over entirely to the Buddhist community.

The protest rally was organised by the Arunachal Pradesh Bhikkhu Sangha in collaboration with the Purbanchal Bhikkhu Sangha at the APIL Ground, Namsai. 
More than 5,000 Buddhist devotees (Dayaks and Dayikas), along with over 100 Buddhist monks from across Arunachal Pradesh, participated in the programme in large numbers.

Members of the Tai Khamti, Singpho, and Chakma Buddhist communities from different parts of the state gathered at the venue to express their opposition to the existing Bodh Gaya Temple Management Act, 1949. The protesters raised slogans and carried torches, calling for amendments to the Act and greater representation of Buddhists in the management of the sacred site.

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General Secretary of the All India Buddhist Forum, Akash Lama, attended the programme as the keynote speaker. Addressing the gathering, he emphasised the significance of Bodh Gaya as the holiest site of Buddhism and reiterated the demand for exclusive management by the Buddhist community.

The Mashal Yatra began from the APIL Ground and culminated at the Poi Pee Mou Ground in Namsai. Several senior Buddhist monks and community leaders addressed the rally, voicing strong opposition to the BTMC Act, 1949, and asserting that the current management structure does not reflect the religious sentiments of Buddhists.

Speakers at the rally stated that the Mahabodhi Temple at Bodh Gaya, a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Bihar, is a sacred shrine for Buddhists worldwide. They alleged that the temple’s present management structure undermines Buddhist religious rights and called upon the central government to repeal or amend the Act in favour of the Buddhist community.

The protest concluded peacefully, with organisers stating that similar demonstrations would continue until their demands are addressed.