Supporting the Clean Election Campaign (CEC) and taking it a notch higher, Yukhum Baptist Church (YBC) in Wokha district has promised to hoist white flags with cross symbol in those households that are committed to respect the fundamental right to vote and uphold the principles of CEC initiated by Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) during the 2018 Assembly election.
The initiative will take off with the theme “We cannot be victims of our ignorance anymore” by January-end or first week of February next year.
In an exclusive interview with Nagaland Post, YBC pastor Zanbemo Kithan said he had announced two months back that the church would erect a white flag with across symbol as sign of “testimony to the world to stand by truth as faithful citizens” in the houses of those who were committed to cast their votes honestly as a fundamental right by resisting all forms of allurements.
He also appealed to candidates entering Yukhum village for campaigning to respect those houses that have white flags and not lure them with any promise, cash or kind. Kithan expressed joy at having received a positive response from the villagers and said the villagers were excited at the prospect of flags being hoisted at their houses. He added that the number of houses erecting the flags did not matter as long as the persons upheld truth.
Referring to the violence, bloodshed and intimidations that took place at Yukhum during elections in the past, he regretted that even though the village celebrated 100 years of Christianity in 1998, it was one of the worst villages of the State in virtually every aspect.
He informed this correspondent that the initiative was very challenging as there was a candidate from village itself, though he was optimistic that “God will help the village”. Kithan also acknowledged the support of Village Council in all the church’s activities and initiatives that were meant for the villagers’ welfare.
The pastor recalled how 97 men from the village had participated in a three-day men’s camp held in a jungle in 2012, sought forgiveness from the Lord and vowed to stand by truth, protect the village’s interest and respect one another’s right. He claimed that since then the village had become very peaceful and that the villagers had taken part in the 2013 election peacefully.
Crediting all significant changes in the village to blessings of God, the pastor said God really performed miracles in the village.
Kithan said the villagers began construction of the church with a budget of Rs 16 lakh. However, when completed three years later, the construction cost over Rs. 2 crore without any funds being raised. He said the church had sponsored 100 missionaries under All Indian Evangelical Mission, Lotha Baptist Ekhumkho Sanrhutsu and Yukhum Village Missionaries for three years.
To a query on how the small church could sponsor such a huge number of missionaries, the pastor said with a smile: “Fasting and prayer were our only priorities and God blessed us with Rs 4 crore in five years and with that money the church was completed and subsequently the church sponsored the missionaries.”
Yukhum is located around 16 km away from Wokha town and it has around 270 households.