ABCC appeals to people to do right thing

As Nagaland goes to polls to elect the representatives for 13th Nagaland Legislative Assembly in a week’s time, the Angami Baptist Church Council (ABCC) has appealed to the people of Nagaland to listen to God’s voice in their conscience and take courage to do the right thing.
In a press release, ABCC executive director, Rev. Dr. V. Atsi Dolie, said the church for some years has been trying its best to educate the people for a clean election. However, he said criticisms against the Church were ceaseless and ranging widely despite the best intention and effort made for the society.
Rev. Dr. Dolie said some want the church particularly NBCC and its associations to stay away from it (election) completely as it was not her realm of involvement. Others, he said expect the church to raise volunteers and play enforcement role, if the situation demands. “Still some others allege that the church is hypocritical and biased,” the reverend said.
Besides these, ABCC executive director said there were some of the wildest and most unkind allegations made to the church, particularly NBCC, on social media. Asserting that everybody was free to form and share one’s opinion, Rev. Dolie, however, said that it should not be without basic decency “because the church is the Body of Christ.” Church leaders, he said were far from perfection and did accept their many shortcomings. However, he said their commitment to God and to the people was sincere.
Meanwhile, the ABCC has vehemently condemned suppression of democratic values by clan or khel or village dominance, assassination bid on candidates in Mokokchung and Wokha, rampant use of money to woo voters, and all other forms of evil.
Despite many hardcore sceptics on clean election movement, ABCC said there were many other individuals, groups, and organizations that have responded positively to the call of the church. Expressing gratitude to all responsible for their support, the ABCC hoped that “together we can take the movement forward until we reach our desired goal someday.”
ABCC underlined that the message of the church was “Respect the unique God-given dignity to you and to others as well; be yourself and not someone else – one person, one vote only; value your worth and do not succumb to temporal allurement.”