Nagaland Baptist Church Council stands firm against lifting liquor ban

Says weak enforcement, not the NLTP Act, driving black-market trade and social harm.

DIMAPUR — The Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) has said it is willing to work with the government and civil society groups to strengthen enforcement of the Nagaland Liquor Total Prohibition (NLTP) Act, 1989, but maintained that it cannot support lifting the ban.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the NBCC reiterated its opposition to proposals for lifting the Act, stating that the law has not been fully implemented and that its weak enforcement has contributed to the rise of a black-market economy and related social concerns.

The NBCC said the Act continues to reflect the Church’s long-standing position that alcohol has caused significant harm to families and communities in the state. It maintained that the present debate on prohibition has grown increasingly contentious but argued that enforcement failures, rather than the law itself, remain the core problem.

According to the council, the main impediments to effective implementation include lack of political will, a weak Excise department with inadequate personnel and technology, failure to secure interstate borders, and loopholes such as compounding of offences. It said these factors have enabled liquor smuggling and illicit sales despite the Act being in force.

Also read: NBCC questions government's liquor policy

Nagaland Baptist Church Council Calls for Stricter Enforcement of the NLTP ACT 1989

The NBCC also pointed to two instances where the government allowed temporary relaxation of the Act—during the G20 Business Meet in 2023 and at the Hornbill Festival in December 2024—stating that these actions were taken without consulting the Prohibition Commission and Committee set up in 1990. These exemptions, it said, show that the Act has already been selectively relaxed, raising questions about the consistency of government policy.

Further, it noted that while the Act is commonly referred to as “total prohibition,” certain provisions allow supervised sale of liquor for specific purposes, including to foreign nationals and for medical needs. However, insufficient enforcement and lack of public awareness, it said, have contributed to misuse and the expansion of illicit trade.

On concerns over the sale of spurious liquor, the NBCC said the issue stems from enforcement failures and cautioned that lifting prohibition would only open wider channels for alcohol entering the state, rather than address the underlying problems. It argued that the presence of bootlegging despite the ban does not justify removing the law.

Read more: Naga Council Dimapur, East Dimapur CSOs unite to demand repeal of NLTP Act

The statement stressed that from the Church’s perspective, the NLTP Act represents more than a legal framework; it is “a moral commitment” rooted in past revival and calls for responsible living. The council said no law is perfectly observed but argued that laws continue to serve a purpose even when violations occur.

While reaffirming that its ministry towards those affected by alcohol will continue irrespective of government decisions, the NBCC said it is open to working with the government and civil society groups to strengthen implementation but cannot support the lifting of prohibition.

“The Church will continue to speak on the issue,” it said, adding that what it considered harmful decades ago remains a concern for society today.