Reaction to Feet-Touching Article by M. Chuba Ao  

The local paper published an article of Mr. M. Chuba Ao, BJP national Vice President under the caption “Democratic India thrives and Modi rocks” on 25.5.2023. If my memory is correct, Mr. M. Chuba Ao had a prefix title of Dr. Yet, in the recent article in question, he did not use the very title, and therefore I am addressing him as Mr. As I read the article between the lines, I could understand that it contains two aspects, one is political and the other is religious aspect. Since I do not take much interest in electioneering politics, I may not like to indulge in the political aspect except on religious aspect. Mr. M. Chuba Ao is a popular political figure as he served his party BJP as its President for pretty long time, and under his leadership BJP was well established in Nagaland. Having raised him to the national level by BJP is obviously for his dedicated service rendered to his party in Nagaland. I also believe that he is a humble leader with political acumen and thus, as of today, he is being used extensively for his party in particular and for public service in general. And yet I know him more from his write-ups rather than from personal intimacy. 

Sending personal opinions to press media for public consumption by anyone is not accidental episode but it is intentional. Any given opinion in the public domain by any individual of popularity especially or group has impact on the society as it either guides or misguides.

I am particularly attracted to a cue cited by Chuba to convey his desired message to the Christians in Nagaland is, and I quote “Never in history has perhaps a Christian Prime Minister of such a small nation touched the feet of a ‘Hindu’ PM Narendra Modi.”  The story relates to a recent visit of the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi to Papua New Guinea when its Prime Minister Mr. James Marape welcomed the visitor by bending down to touch the feet of the visiting counterpart similar to Hindu culture. Neither touching the visitor’s feet by bowing down cannot be considered as the better and more acceptable reception nor receiving the visitor in normal posture with or without handshake is a disrespect to the visitor as in our Naga culture. I believe that the Nagas are traditionally and culturally very receptive to guests and without emulating neo reception culture, the existing practices do suffice.

Let me quote few more sentences from the text. Quote. “The citizens of that country (Papua  New Guinea) are 98 percent Christians and now the people are being asked whether they want the country to be officially declared “a Christian nation.” Hence, PM Marape knew exactly what he was doing at the airport. His father was a Seventh-day Adventist pastor. Kindly note, Adventist Protestants believe that God created the earth in six days and observed the seventh day as a day of rest. We in Nagaland also believe 7th day as the day of rest.” Unquote. Without meticulously analysing each sentence or word, how Mr. Chuba has driven the message to the simile between the Christians in Papua New Guinea and the Christians in Nagaland, India. As much is the belief of Papua New Guinea Christians that everything of the creation was completed by Creator God in six days time and rested on the seventh day, that much is the belief of the Christians in Nagaland, and thus there is no difference at all.

The implication of highlighting the very simile is to neutralise the sensitivity of the Naga Christians on our faith in God based on Bible and having apprehension to get it diluted under the weight of Hinduism onslaught. To cite one example, a local paper published the statement of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on 29th November, 2022 who claimed that “all people living in India were by definition Hindus …” “Anybody who agreed to sing Sanskrit verses in praise of Bharat Mata…is a Hindu.” “People should understand that because they live in Hindustan, they all are Hindus. Hindutva is the name of the centuries old culture to which all the diverse streams owe their origin.” Bhagwat claimed. The quoted speech of Mohan Bhagwat is the very open indoctrination of Hinduism on non-Hindus that tantamount to coercion. Subsequently, the intended articulation whips up that even when a Christian Prime Minister of a sovereign nation had humbly bowed down to touch the feet of the Hindu Prime Minister, why should the Naga Christians become sensitive to Hindu culture. 

Clear instructions are provided in Romans 13:1-7 for Christians as to how we have to give due respect to public leaders and remain obedient to the established Govt. irrespective of one belonging to which political party or which party rules. While reacting to the very intended message in particular, I have no disrespect to any established leader who becomes one by the will of the Living God alone as the Bible says.

What I want to remind ourselves is what the Bible teaches mankind that while giving due respect to whoever he or she deserves for the position one holds, we are not to worship any power that be beside God Jehovah. The two vocabularies, namely, respect and worship are different in its meaning and in its implication too. In Exodus 20:5, we are directed not to bow down to them (gods) nor serve them (gods). So I understand that I have to give due respect to human authorities but not to worship them in any manner. The highest degree or form of fear is to be exclusively reserved for worship to the Creator God. In Jeremiah 17: 5,6 “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart departs from the Lord. For he shall be like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see when good comes, but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land which is not inhabited.”  Thus, the Scripture is clear that how wealthy and how powerful a human authority may be, the Christians are taught never to worship such earthly or heavenly authority except the Living God Jehovah. No known power or authority can be equated with Jehovah, the Creator, Sustainer and Deliverer of all the creations. Whereas, God has promised blessing if we trust Him. “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord. For he shall  be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its root by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit.” Jeremiah  17:7, 8. May God deliver His believers from the clutches of the lust of the eyes, of the lust of the flesh and of the pride of life.

Z. Lohe