Nagaland – Which Direction?

This document represents the heart and soul of general public in general and Christians  in particular as a land of Christian faith.   Serving this paper of conviction, we appeal to all electorates of Nagaland and the elected legislators in particular to refrain from seductive political paint of religious fanatical doctrine wearing a secularized skin of hidden agenda.  India is a nation of religious and social diversity which national fathers recognized and upheld in the constitution. Any political party ruling the country is expected to honor, uphold and promote the principle of secularism enshrined by the nation. Public must condemn any political party that insists a marriage of political policy with ulterior fanaticism at the expense of nation’s cause if the special provision of Article 371:A  should continue to protect and preserve  Nagaland. The Nagas The Nagas are not Indians by our history, culture and religion.  Following the British departure and through struggle for political right alongside peace negotiation, a provisional arrangement as Nagaland as a state was made.  Talks are in process towards a destiny. The Nagas must be aware that our given right, human originality and socio-cultural integrity be preserved against a bribery by a fundamental intention to gain a political platform.  Is it true that “Nagas cannot resist Money and Money can buy them?” As Christians, the Nagas have the best human value when we established our faith on biblical foundation which nothing can shake. This quality must not be shattered by easy indulgence of money in relation to a political bait towards an irreparable direction.  The Nagas must be wise enough not to be hypnotized by a supra-imposition of political temptation.  Mistake should be avoided in process of our journey.  From Darkness to Light The Nagas at our own volition and choice accepted the Bible as the Word of God.  Accepting Jesus Christ, the Nagas gave up headhunting and detrimental practices of old culture incompatible to the gospel value.  The British saw and appreciated it. The world saw and became our friends.  India saw us as a land of difference.  Christian faith turned off our hostility towards our neighbors. Founding our faith on biblical foundation, God brings His manifold blessing to the Nagas.  No one can deny this fact. Our biblical foundation is like a primary root that supplies mineral to the trunk. And nothing should uproot this foundation, be money, politics, or secularized icon and camouflage of political wave.  Every Naga, young and old will agree that Christian faith is the power and source of the transformation of the Nagas.  Nagas have every right to defend and promote our faith in Christ. The Christian faith of the Nagas cannot be idolized by any subversion of hidden political ideology.  Naga Christians must be sober enough not to be swept away by any easy influence. The Nagas are standing on a decisive ground.  It is a crucial time for the Nagas to make relevant decision as we are hit by current of political waves in the form of election. Our leaders are elected by much prayers of churches while they made many big promises like   roads and bridges, school education, hospital and power supply.  But once they are facilitated  with power, their promises and humility are inundated and sidelined.  They were preoccupied with position and privileges; flocking together in hunt for power while the public conditions were in deplorable, decelerating and deteriorating conditions.  Their promises remain alive in the hearts and conscience of their constituencies. Public are hit with political abnormality and schizophrenia of paper wars of disqualification, majority and minority, and party issues.  Enough is enough. We need to re-cultivate  the value of shame culture.  Who is better than whom? Public are confused and disturbed.  No one is better except God- the Creator. They were baptized members of their respective churches.  There is no dichotomy. It is a totality. A Christian must live one life, not one inside the church while one outside. It is time to return to where you have started your journey with God.  We expect our leaders to live a matching life in their secular circle. Dark cloud of religious fanatical fundamentalism looms over our horizon with a subtle and subversive maneuvering manner.  But Christians with God in hearts must detect the magnet of heretic disguise and schemes.  The slogan is ‘It is politics not religion.’  But blind political boarding will become like an ocean with flattery attraction embedded with hidden content. This paper is not to attack a political party but a warning to the people about the coming fact. Political traps will enslave and consign your freedom for sale.  You can avoid a bird making a nest on your head. We must know repercussion that we will harvest (so as you sow you will reap).  Higher sublime is better than submersion with money as deathtrap. Nagaland must wisely choose the right direction because it will be too late for resurrection once we are fossilized. Based on what is now, political fluidity will sweep away the ethos of our generation against Christian principle. The Nagas are not born into a cooked up culture of RSS and VHP but into a natural religion (Animism) from which God delivered them some 145 years ago.  Nagas  are  convinced that no other fundamental faith would offer them a better future except their faith in Jesus Christ.   The Lord Jesus talks about a rocky ground against a sandy ground (Matt 7:24,25).  Relevantly, morality and integrity are better than a seasonal rain of fleeting politics. Assorted package of money and political influence of ruling government will overflow in a secular skin with hidden content of an ulterior agenda.  But it is the citizens to make responsible decision as Christians.  We must not crucify public welfare by individual gain or favor of a sheer political party.  Think of your children, their future, teeming students in schools, smiling kids at homes, and even lives in the womb of mothers today. We appeal to the general public to uphold and implement the guideline of Clean Election outlined by the Church, NBCC. Nagaland is faced with famine of committed leadership.  Nagaland will have no regret with electing ‘Leaders of principle’. We appeal to the intending candidates to consider going to election (1) if you have an unwavering and strong Christian faith, (2) if you love others and public more than your own gain and interest, (3) if you have an evidential  commitment to meet public needs,  and  (4) if you are a stable and dependable person.  Keeping the issue of Naga political solution open before the sovereignty of God, we pray to God for *.  Leaders of faith who can apologetically stand for and defend the foundation of the land against subversive fundamental elements in political disguise. * .  Seasoned leaders who can fulfill their promises. *. Leaders elected by birthright, free from buying votes and indulgence. *  Leaders who understand people and be willing to make a sacrifice. *.  Leaders who will remove deplorable conditions such as road-bridge, pathetic power supply, deteriorating school education, and to calibrate health care. *. Leaders who see future in relation to global scenario and make connection. *Birthright principle - casting vote as instituted by God without selling *Free and fair election – following the guidelines of NBCC Clean Election *Generation welfare –  vision that brings future reality  to youth *To stand united towards permanent solution and destiny with equal opportunity. *To depend upon God-guided-vision in the journey of the Nagas hereafter. *To conscientiously make unmistaken and no-regrettable decision. Fundamentally Nagaland is born as a result of bloodshed for human right with a special clause of Art 371:A  in the India Constitution. And from the inception, Nagaland is uniquely known as a land of Christians with churches, prayers, singing songs, in-out church activities, Sunday worships, Christmas celebration and all other biblical practices.  A prayer normally precedes every major gathering (regardless political and social events) including the Prime Minister or President of India visiting Nagaland.  Alongside other faiths in existence, Christianity is the undisputed practice of faith of the land, not as an imposed or imported but at our own volition. In the event of the proposed Good Governance Day on December 25 which is the day of the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ and celebrated universally, by the Honorable Prime Minister of Indian, Shri Narendra Modi, Christians view  the overturn with an apprehension of its consequence as it is (1) the highest celebration which is already a cultural day of Christians of the land,  (2) honoring the Day by all communities in the state including other faiths by suspending businesses, government office and normal activities, and on the whole, (3) it is a recognized universal and international holiday as Christmas. In addition to Christmas Day as Good Governance Day, other looming impositions to be forcibly imposed through government functionary, once a Hindu fundamental party takes over Nagaland,  are obviously and openly All this fanatical ideology will weaken and uproot biblical and indigenous values of the land  by and through our own leaders who are hired by the ruling government of India with money, facility, political power, and radical imbued philosophy of RSS and VHP.  Alas! The future of our youth and younger generation will be brainwashed and swept away by the flood of election money with hidden contents. Therefore, in view of the above expressed opinion, the people of Nagaland, as a united Voice of  Christians, would welcome any healthy national or global agenda that would calibrate the condition of the people.  But it is to be asserted and reasserted that any forced imposition infringing the age-long practices of the land would hurt the civil sentiment, create unhappiness and bring ungrateful attitude towards the ruling government of India. Repeatedly, we strongly protest against hidden agenda of impositions as cited as above. Obviously, the imposition may also invite radical repercussion of international community which, we hope, Indian leadership would sensibly avoid by promoting peaceful coexistence of unity in diversity. Remember what the lord Jesus said: “? (Luke 9:25). God bless Nagaland!