NBCC encourages voting with ‘Christian Principles’

Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) has encouraged the Christians in Nagaland to exercise their voting rights with Christian principles and commitment for a better Nagaland.
A press release from NBCC, Clean Election Campaign convenor, Rev. Dr. Mar Atsongchanger, also encouraged the voters to elect good leaders, who are God-fearing, well-cultured, well-educated and who have the ability to lead the people towards a free-corruption state.
Atsongchanger said that the churches in Nagaland, for the last few decades spearheaded by the NBCC, had been sensitising its members to the principles of Clean Elections with the knowledge that all corruption in the government systems was due to corrupt practices during electioneering.
“It is a time to choose our future with Christian and Naga identity” the release said while encouraging members to “have allegiance towards one’s faith, rather than by going with any communal party.”
NBCC also wanted that the slogan of the Nagas’ — “Nagaland for Christ” — should not be misused for the benefit of any political party or individual.
The council further advised candidates to not buttress voters with money or threaten them with issues of development.
ABAM responds to Rijiju statements
In another press release from Rev. Dr. Mar Atsongchanger who is also the Ao Baptist Church Association (ABAM) executive secretary, said that ABAM as a religious body was not against any political party or any candidate.
Stating that the recent statements made by the Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Kiren Rijiju merits a response from ABAM, the release said that attacks on Christians had been on the rise in various parts of India.
“It is no secret that it (BJP) is the political wing of the RSS (Rashtriya Swaamsevak Sangh)”, it alleged.
Also, RSS openly “upholds and values” a conservative Hindutva ideology and does its best to prevent Christians from preaching, Atsongchanger alleged.
According to him the rechristening of Christmas Day to “Good Governance Day” and Good Friday to “Digital India Day” are indications of ulterior motives to dilute important Christian days.
These belied Rijiju’s statements that the BJP will safeguard the interests of Christians, the press release stated.
Questioning if a BJP-RSS led government could act contrary to their ideologies and principles, Atsongchanger said that it was evident that violence against Christians was motivated by the agenda to eradicate Christianity in India.
Alleging that BJP is the political voice of the RSS, Atsongchanger said that Rijiju’s statement “Mixing religion with politics is a sin” contradicts his party’s position and questioned if Rijiju represented a “Christianised BJP”.