NBCC backs AYO over IMFL truck seizure near Jotsoma and seeks a transparent probe into alleged smuggler nexus.
Share
DIMAPUR — The Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) has lauded the Angami Youth Organisation (AYO) in connection with interception of a truck carrying Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) near Jotsoma and the alleged collusion between law enforcement personnel and smugglers.
In a press release issued on Friday, the NBCC stated that its response is ‘rooted in Scripture’ and concern for the common good under the Nagaland Liquor Total Prohibition (NLTP) Act.
Stating that the AYO, JYO, and TYO volunteers had acted at personal risk to confront illegal activity, it said the Church recognises acts of citizens upholding the law in a lawful and non-violent manner, as service to the community.
“The allegations of a ‘nexus’ between smugglers and law enforcement are alarming. If true, this is not only a breach of law but a betrayal of public trust,” read the press release adding: “Corruption harms the poor most, undermines the NLTP Act, and weakens the moral fabric of our society.”
The NBCC has called for as speedy and transparent inquiry into the allegations by competent authorities and ensure that whistleblowers and youth volunteers are provided protection against threat or retaliation.
“No one should fear reprisal for reporting wrongdoing. If allegations are proven false, the truth must clear the names of those accused. If proven true, there must be due process without shielding,” it stated.
Reiterating its support for the NLTP Act, the council said that it was “enacted to protect Naga families, especially youth, from the social and economic harm of alcohol abuse”.
Also read: News in Brief
It also urged ‘the Excise, Police, and State Government to review checkpoint procedures, strengthen oversight, and close loopholes that allow large consignments to bypass frisking points’, stating that law loses credibility when enforcement fails due to collusion.
The NBCC thanked the youth for not remaining “mute spectators”, while urging them to continue acting lawfully in coordination with authorities. Meanwhile, it asked the Excise department to “root out the few who bring shame to the uniform” and conduct raids, particularly in Kohima Town, saying that it has been “functioning toothless for so long”.
To the leaders, the council said that “Naga society watches whether justice applies equally to the powerful and the powerless”.
“The Church does not seek to police, but to prophetically call Nagaland back to truth, justice, and righteousness. We pray that this incident becomes not just a case file, but a turning point toward greater transparency and integrity in public life,” it added.