No compromise on NLTP Act, says Konyak Baptist Bumeinok Bangjüm

MOKOKCHUNG — The Konyak Baptist Bumeinok Bangjüm (KBBB) has declared its unwavering opposition to any move to lift or dilute the Nagaland Liquor Total Prohibition (NLTP) Act, 1989, describing the act as a “covenant between God and the churches” and a hard-won legacy of Naga Christian forebears who envisioned a better Nagaland for the generations to come.

In a statement, the KBBB stated that the act was a result of decades of prayer, fasting, and collective efforts aimed at protecting future generations from the harmful effects of alcohol on families, public health, and community safety.

“The NLTP Act did not come overnight. It is the fruit of our elders’ vision for a better Nagaland-one free from broken homes, alcoholism, school dropouts, moral decay, and spiralling social problems,” it stated.

The church body rejected claims that prohibition has failed, insisting that success or failure depends entirely on enforcement.

“One cannot judge an act that has largely been kept in cold storage. The problem is not prohibition - it is the glaring gaps in implementation and enforcement of the NLTP Act,” it maintained.

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The KBBB dismissed two common arguments for lifting the ban, stating that legalising liquor will curb spurious alcohol and the state is losing revenue

“Licensing will not stop adulteration — Funds misused through greed will far exceed tax recoverable from the sale of liquor, therefore, the arguments from the point of the supply of spurious liquor and the revenue loss do not stand any ground,” the statement read.

The church body also refuted suggestions that prohibition has driven youth toward drugs, calling the link “fallacious and misleading.”

“We must rather be coming together and striving to provide other healthier recreational alternatives instead of blaming the Church and considering the lifting of prohibition.”

Describing the NLTP Act as “not just another law on paper but a sacred covenant made under the Nagaland Baptist Church Council,” the KBBB appealed to all Naga Christians and the wider community to prioritise the healthy life of individuals and families and a sober society.

“The potential harms of lifting the Act -partially or fully — far outweigh any perceived benefits,” it added.