Dimapur, Mar. 4 (EMN): The Peraciezie Baptist Church of Kohima hosted a seminar on Mar. 2 for its members focusing on various issues concerning rights. The seminar discussed rights and benefits entitled to the citizen and the constitutional provision protecting the Christian community, updates from the Nagaland Voluntary Consumer Organisation (NVCO) informed on Mar. 4.
Pastor Kevichalie Metha was the moderator of the event and Kezhokhoto Savi, the president of the NVCO, was the speaker, the press release stated.
On the topic of rights, Savi told the gathering that right was a privilege granted to a person ‘who is entitled to it.’ There are basic rights granted to a person by birth which can be called natural rights such as right to air, right to way etc. There are also different types of rights such as Human Rights entitled to a person to ensure the protection of his life, freedom and liberty, equality and dignity, he said.
“Slavery, poverty, physical torture, destruction of property, killing, hunger, insurgency, sex exploitation, forced labour, child labour, commercial sex exploitation, illiteracy etc., are against Human Rights. The father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi was a great human rights activists who strongly believed and practices non-violence,” the press release quoted him as having stated.
“One of the great American presidents, Abraham Lincoln was a man who had sacrificed his life for the abolition of slavery. Nelson Mandela was one of the great symbols of human rights of our time whose life was committed to human dignity, equality, freedom and justice.”
Further, Savi said that the consumer organisation has started it two week-long observance of World Consumer Rights Day from Mar. 1 to the 15th 2018 as the event is observed on the 15th every year.
“All the neighbouring states had stopped collection of cash at the check-gates or on any highways with implementation of Goods and Services Tax (GST). However, despite of government standing order in banning the collection of cash at the check-gates and on any highways this menace continue in Nagaland till date which causes price rice in the market,” the press release stated.
The updates informed that other topics that were discussed during the event included the Food Safety & Standard Act; medical negligence, public services delivery system; the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood & Regulation of Street Vending) Act; the Right to Information; Article 371A of the Indian Constitution; the Nagaland State Consumer Helpline toll-free number 1800-345-3701; and issues about the environment. These issues were highlighted in brief to the gathering after which there were discussions, ,the press release informed.
A similar session will be held on the 14th day of March organised by Nagaland University’s non-teaching staff at the university’s Kohima campus ‘in view of two-week long celebration of World Consumer Rights Day.
Rights and benefits
Further, the gathering was told about the National Food Security Act which the speaker said was meant to give access to adequate quality food at affordable prices to people to live a life with dignity.
‘Households covered under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana can be entitled to 35 kg of food grains per month and for the priority household (PHH) 5 kg per person per month at the rate of INR 3 per kg for rice and INR 2 per kg for wheat,’ Savi told the gathering.
Other topics during the discussions included free legal-aid, the Lokayukta, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme; village development board guidelines; unconstitutional practices of retaining parliamentary secretaries and advisors; the issue of backdoor appointments etc.
Pointing to the issue of corruption in Nagaland, Kezhokhoto Savi, also a member of the anti-graft organisation Against Corruption and Unabated Taxation, appealed to the churches to pray for the organisation in their fight against corruption. He said that the Clean Election campaign has to be continued ‘with the hope that clean election would rebuild the Naga society,’ the updates stated.
Further, the updates informed that the NVCO was also at the Nagaland Baptist Church Council’s (NBCC) 21st triennial convention that was held at Impur in Mokokchung during Feb. 2-4 on the topic “constitutional provision with special reference to Christians.”
“The NVCO is very serious with this topic keeping in mind the acceleration of the violation of the Christians fundamental rights in the country such as persecution, violence, killing pastors, evangelists, missionaries, burning of churches, rejecting the visa of top foreign Christian preacher, forceful conversion, denial of ration cards, expelled from village etc.,” the press release stated.
The organisation assured that it will continue to create more awareness on the Fundamental Rights of the Christian community and to speak out against the persecution of Christian in the country.
Savi has appealed to the Naga Christians to be ‘strong and not to compromise with their Christian faith’ in proclaiming Jesus Christ as their lord and saviour despite the challenges ahead of them. “Continue to pray for our nation India as a secular state,’ the press release added.
