As several other BJP leaders especially the Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Prime Minister Narendra Modi & Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma are expected to address election campaign in Nagaland, the Nagaland Voluntary Consumers’ Organisation(NVCO) make a sincere appeal to them to stop persecution and violence against Christians in India as a secular democratic nation. NVCO President Kezhokhoto Savi who is a lawyer by profession and also associated to International Defence Alliance(IDA) said that about 100 churches and organisation and more than 15,000 people participated in a peaceful protest rally on rising violence against Christians in India at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi on 19th Feb, 2023 where speakers highlighted Christians are being accused of forcibly converting people to Christianity. Churches are being attacked, Christians are being beaten up and arrested, not even allowed to pray in one’s own home to the extend a few women were arrested for offering prayers during a birthday celebration and the Christian community are living in a constant state of panic and these persecution & violence are more in the states of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Karnataka and so many other places where their basic fundamental rights are being snatched. However, along with the rest of the churches in Nagaland, Jakhama Baptist Church had conducted a prayer programme for 2023 Election and the Persecuted Christian in India call by Nagaland Baptist Church Council(NBCC). Deacon and Church Board Chairman Shri. Ketholeho Kulnu highlighted about the value of vote, clean election and to follow Christian principles while exercising one’s vote as a Christian. Whereas Shri. Kezhokhoto Savi who is a former chairman of Jakhama Baptist Church Mens’ department spoke on – “the Persecuted Christian in India”. Mr. Savi shares about his presentation on the topic – “Constitutional Provision with special reference to Christians” during the Nagaland Baptist Church Council(NBCC) 21st Triennal Convention held at Impur, Mokokchung from 2nd to 4th Feb, 2018 whereby he had highlighted about the provision of Indian Constitution safeguards the freedom of conscience and the right to profess, practice and propagate the religion of one’s choice but despite of the above mentioned fundamental rights there several incidence it violates the fundamental rights of the citizens on the ground of religion including the Christianity and also highlighted the persecution and violence against Christians in one year during the BJP led National Democratic Alliance(NDA)’s government under the Prime Minister of Narendra Damodardas Modi from 26th May, 2014. The violence peaked between August and October 2014 with 56 cases, before zooming up to 25 cases during the Christmas season including the burning of the Catholic Church of St. Sebastian in Dilshad garden in the national capital of New Delhi and the violence has continued well into the New Year 2015, with more Catholic churches in the city targeted as incidents continue in other states.
Mr. Savi has also highlighted about Freedom of Religion Act or anti-conversion laws in India whereby several states had passed these laws especially the BJP ruled government and attacks Christians intentionally used as instrumental in brutally suppressing and exploiting Christian as minorities and punishing pastors and church workers. In Indian states where anti-conversion laws have been passed recently, those has been a rapid increase of incidents of persecution against Christians, such as churches being destroyed, Bibles and other literature being confiscated and Christian gathering being banned. NVCO appreciates the press statement of the churches and fellowship including Dimapur Areas Ao Baptist Pastors Fellowship, ABAM & NBCC openly expresses its serious concern & resentment over the usage of sacred and spiritual phrases/slogans during election campaign. He has also condemned the writing of one Jagdamba Mall widely published in local papers recently threatening nagas to remember, “BJP Government in Delhi does not want to go in Kashmir way in Nagaland to avoid unpleasant incidents” who claimed himself as a life-long worker of RSS who has spent forty years of his prime life in service of Nagas of Nagaland stationed at Kohima. Jagdamba Mall has also described as to how RSS is the godfather of BJP and BJP’s roots lie in RSS. The BJP top party leaders instead of preaching in Nagaland during election as “BJP not anti- Christian” stated by BJP national secretary and co-convenor North East, Rituraj Sinha he must convey this message to his Party BJP at Delhi to stop persecution and violence against Christian as a secular democratic nation. As rightly put John Narla Union Minister of state for minorities under scanner by NBCC & ABAM(Ao Baptist Arogo Mungdang), NVCO questioned as to why John Barla minister-in charge for minorities failed to protect the Christians from persecution and violence as minority. NVCO was wandering whether there was any incident John Barla as union minister of state for minorities spoke strongly against persecution and violence upon the Christian community in Parliament? If at all he was a pastor then a very big WHY he was proudly shouting ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’. Today, by seeing the situation of our immediate state neighbour Assam under the BJP Chief Minister, life of Christian in a Christian state including Nagaland is not secure seeing an incident where several churches are been raised down by the state government and several other incidents been facing by Christian in Assam. Assam: RSS- affiliate JDSSM(Janajati Dharma- Sanskritti Suraksha Manch) demands removal of Christians from ST list where Over 1 lakh members of JDSSM would be staging a demonstration at Janata Bhavan under “Challo Dispur” programme, demanding both the Central and the State governments to amend Article 342A of the Constitution.
Press & Media Cell, NVCO
Advocate Kezhokhoto Savi during the prayer programme at Jakhama Baptist Church on Feb 19, 2023
Launched on December 3, 1990. Nagaland Post is the first and highest circulated newspaper of Nagaland state. Nagaland Post is also the first newspaper in Nagaland to be published in multi-colour.