Nuklutoshi calls for church’s role for better Naga society

[caption id="attachment_75562" align="alignnone" width="500"] Minister Nuklutoshi Longkumer addressing the inaugural programme of the Centenary Memorial Complex of Unger Baptist Church on Friday.[/caption] Mokokchung, September 23 : Maintaining that the Naga society is being ‘plagued into a state of division’, Minister for Election, National Highway & Mechanical Engineering, Nuklutoshi Longkumer underlined that the church must now ‘take up the burden to make the Naga society a disciplined society, so also for the future of the youth.’ He said this at a function marking the inauguration of Unger Baptist Church’s ‘centenary memorial complex’ at Unger village in Mokokchung on Friday. Nuklutoshi lamented that though the Naga people claim to be ‘80 percent Christian yet the number of members does not go to church.’ He maintained that even though forefathers of Nagas were nature worshippers they were still true to their beliefs and were disciplined. However, the minister said, the Naga society today was an ‘indisciplined society’ because the ‘youths or the people do not go to church, and there is no discipline in their lives.’ “The church has a big responsibility to correct the society and to concentrate on the present Naga society. Instead of sending missionaries to other places like Arunachal or China etc., the time has come for the church to concentrate their mission in the Naga society,” Longkumer said. Also, the minister lamented the ‘fragmentation of Naga society’ and wondered how the Naga people would even ask the undergrounds groups to unite and bring solution when the Naga people themselves are divided. Nuklutoshi referred to the Naga Hoho, the ENPO, the CNTC and the NTC, and the current crisis in the Naga Hoho. Three tribes have walked out of the Naga Hoho. ‘Under such circumstances, how can we envisage a developed and peaceful Naga society,’ the minister asked. He asserted that if the current situation prevails for the next ten years, the Naga youths will already have a ‘dark future.’ “The present trend of division in the society will not bring solution, development or peace in the society but rather bring more misery,” he said. The minister also challenged the parents to ponder ‘whether they are thinking about their children’s future or not.’ Nuklutoshi further opined that all the problems in the Naga society can be solved if they unite. He called upon individuals, villages, tribes, and organizations to ‘come together’ so that the Naga people ‘as a whole would be able to march together in peace and prosperity into the future.’ The minister also inspected the massive landslide at kilometre-185.6 on NH-2 en route to Unger village. A host of government officials, village leaders and NPF party leaders led by NPF Mokokchung Division, Moasangba Jamir accompanied the minister. Unger Baptist Church celebrated their 100th year of Christianity in 2013. In commemoration of the centenary, the Centenary Memorial Complex was built and was completed in July, 2016, at a cost of nearly 49 lakh.