Mokokchung: A top leader of the Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) on February 2 cautioned voters against supporting political parties with sectarian agenda.
“It would be unfortunate for the Church and the people to be voting for a party with communal agendas,” Reverend Zelhou Keyho, general secretary of the council, said during a press conference at Impur in Mokokchung, some 150 km north of Nagaland capital of Kohima.
The Baptist council began its triennial conference on February 2. More than 8800 delegates from across the Christian-majority northeastern state representing 1,615 Baptist churches are attending the conference.
Keyho said that the NBCC will oppose any party toeing the communal line or suppressing the rights of other fellow-beings in a secular country like India.
On the Clean Election Campaign (CEC) initiated by the NBCC, he said that the church was not playing politics through the campaign; but it was a moral movement to revive ‘Christian values and principles’ in the democratic process of the state. He said that the church was on a mission through the CEC to awaken the conscience of the Naga people and to help them see election as a moral and spiritual issue to help eradicate corruption.
”Clean election campaign is a continuous movement and will continue even after the election process is over and though it is an uphill battle, I believe our children will enjoy the fruits of the labor we did to plant this seed today,” he added.
Atsongchanger, who is also the convener of the “clean election campaign,” said the Baptist council, as a responsible Organisation, neither supports nor opposes any political party. The campaign, he said, is to pave way for good leadership and good governance.
“Election is within the power of the Indian Constitution whereas clean election campaign was a spiritual movement to cleanse our land of the malpractices in electioneering process, so our motives are different and shouldn’t be confused,” he added.
Reminding the people not to be swayed by ‘shallow promises’ from various parties during the election, he said that ‘the promise of development should not be the main priority but to vote for clean candidates.’
Atsongchanger expressed the hope that all the political parties would stand by the pledge taken on June 23, 2017, to advocate the principles of clean election.
He added that the Ao Baptist Arogo Mungdang (Abam), the apex body of the Ao Baptist churches, had decided to invite all the intending candidates of the Ao tribe on Feb. 16 to Impur for a special prayer and an interactive session during which the candidates can speak about their ‘dream’ for Nagaland and not their party manifesto.
The 21st NBCC triennial convention which is hosted by the Ao Baptist Arogo Mungdang will be held at Impur, the first Christian mission center to be established in Naga soil.
The legislative assembly election will be held on February 27 to elect members of the 60 constituencies in Nagaland. Counting of votes will take place on March 3.
(Source: easternmirrornagaland.com)