Nagaland Baptist Church Council to mark 150 years of Christianity with focus on ‘clean election’

With the clarion call for clean election and objective to sensitize the citizens of Nagaland on clean and honest politics, Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) is all set to celebrate 150 years of Christianity in Nagaland under the theme ‘His story’.
As part of the celebrations, NBCC will be organizing various programmes and activities including a two-day bike rally on ‘clean election movement’ (May 31 and June 1). The sesquicentennial (150 years) will be held on the theme “His Story” and the celebrations will culminate on November 19-20 at Kohima and all churches across the State.
Talking to media persons here on Tuesday, NBCC general secretary Rev Dr Zelhou Keyho, while narrating the history of Christianity in Nagaland, said delegates from overseas and other States would participate, even as all pastors had been invited to attend the programme to show “oneness”.
He said 1,708 churches under NBCC would join the celebrations to commemorate 150 years of Christianity in the State, adding that several activities would be taken up as part of the programme, including the bike rally.
Dwelling on politics and church’s role, Keyho asserted that the movement was for everyone. He revealed that there were success stories from the clean election movement though these did not grab newspaper headlines.
He explained that the bike rally was also being organised to educate the people on clean election movement, which started in 1973 but picked up only in 2003, 2008 and 2013, and thus not a new story among the Nagas. He also shared the strategies to reach out to the masses for clean election campaign like capacity building, networking, mobilising, preaching, educating and reflecting, hoping that the people would come together and fight for a common goal.
Clean election movement convener Dr Villo Naleo, who too addressed the media, mentioned that the main objective for the initiative was to focus on bringing a positive change in the society, while adhering to the democratic principles of the State. On his part, NBCC youth secretary N Suhuto Chishi said the bike rally comprising 150 bikers would cover the entire State during the two days.
He mentioned that they would be making a few stops at certain locations and hold short programmes to talk about the clean election movement and motivate the people.
He said the flag-off of the bike rally would take place at WSBAK Centre, Akuvuto, Thahekhu village Dimapur and pass through Medziphema, Kohima town, Tseminyu, Wokha, Mokokchung, Akuluto, Zunheboto, Satakha and Chozuba towns before concluding at NBCC headquarters at Bayavu Hill here.
Referring to riding in eastern areas, Chishi admitted that it would be a big challenge for the bikers, most of whom would be young, as the road conditions would pose a big challenge to them.
He said hoodies would be provided to all the bikers for the sake of uniformity in the squad team, adding that representatives from 20 full-fledged church associations and four associate members of NBCC would be a part of the 150 bikers.