It is noteworthy that the churches in Nagaland continue to take active part in various social activisms in the state. Its first major victory will be the total prohibition Act that was promulgated in the state since 1990. With no data available at present to show whether there was an increase or decrease in alcohol users in the last 27 years and its related effects including death rate, it is still premature to say if the total prohibition succeeded. It is not incorrect that some have dubbed Nagaland as the “wettest dry state” with a large amount of the population already cursed, at least religiously, for using alcohol. It also did not in any way decrease the use of it during elections coming just next in line with money. Along with the clean elections campaign that started a few years back, the churches have started to also join the various anti-graft movements in the state, the latest being the Kohima Baptist Pastor’s Fellowship being part of the sit-in protest outside the civil secretariat in Kohima.
The word corruption is on everyone’s lip at the moment in Nagaland. Every misfortune is now linked to it whether it is real or perceived. If such a situation only can evoke the clergy to have some introspection it would surely benefit all. The accepted maxim is that the root of all corruption is either power or money. Unfortunately in the case of Nagaland the objective of the majority is money because the people of the state have never seen so much amount of money in its history. Power and status is therefore pursued with money as the end goal because like other people across the world, money symbolises security and mankind’s biggest misconception; success.
Where stands the churches in Nagaland at such a juncture? The time has finally come to fight corruption from within when the clergy has also joined the fight against corruption. It is time to ask if the importance of money or wealth has been over-emphasised in the churches and the various governing bodies of the churches. In a state where the economy is primarily dependent on the government, what makes the church one of the most secure of all the institutions with steady economic growth over the years? The increase in religious buildings and its associated commercial establishments is on an increase. The math is very simple, Nagaland has around 1426 towns and villages according to Census 2011. An average of 2 churches or church related institutions in all these locations is a very safe hypothesis.
The church related collections mostly voluntary but at times compulsory and mandated by the community or the traditional bodies has become a routine. The irony is that in Nagaland the highest decision making bodies of the churches are a few selected members of the churches, also called as deacons by the Protestants, are still part of the supposed corrupted system that the church is fighting against. Throughout history the powers of the religious institutions were questioned and in most instances stripped of its power and influence by the people themselves. The day is not far when the churches in Nagaland will also be questioned by the same youth with whom the clergy today are protesting against the government. When the people can now question the legality and jurisdiction of the village and tribe organisations, which was considered almost blasphemous earlier, the day is not far for the church institutions too.
