Dimapur, Oct. 23 (EMN): A 25-member delegation of the Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) led by its president Rev. Dr. Hukashe Zhimomi and general secretary Rev Dr. Zelhou Keyho called on the chairman of the NSCN (IM) Q Tuccu and conducted a prayer meeting on Monday with the group’s leaders at the residence of the chairman.
Updates were received here on Tuesday from a freelance journalist based in Dimapur.
The delegation conveyed to the chairman that the need of the hour was unity among the armed factions so that the final accord is signed to avoid bloodshed and confrontation. The NBCC’s main purpose in meeting with the NSCN (IM) leaders was to let them know that the church is praying for them, for wisdom, for understanding and for guidance.
In any given situation, they were told, the church will continue to stand above the solution, and prayed that unity and mutual understanding prevail among the leaders and the Nagas in general.
Stating that the NBCC had set out on a mission to pray for Naga political leaders and organizations for unity and reconciliation among the groups and which will also give a positive boost to the pursuit of signing of the final accord, the NBCC general secretary told the NSCN (IM) leaders that the Naga public is now weary and anxious.
Expressing that perhaps the Naga people were experiencing the silence of God because God want the Naga people to be stronger in prayers and to go according to his will, Keyho reiterated that the church had not given up its prayer for peace, understanding, unity, reconciliation and forgiveness among Naga people for it is only through God Naga people will get deliverance.
‘As followers of Christ Naga people must follow the teachings of the Bible otherwise, it will be like tearing away the pages of the Bible if Naga people have to give up repentance, forgiveness, reconciliation and unity,’ he said.
Further, Q Tuccu assured that he would go as per the voice and views of the public being a people’s movement. He assured that before any final accord is signed, the people’s views and opinion would be taken and he was aware that conflict is not what the Naga people want, the updates stated.
He was hopeful that the bottlenecks be resolved amicably between the Naga negotiator and GoI with mutual understanding in the next formal talks to avoid any (bloodshed), which would pave a way for permanent peace in the region.
Appreciating the effort of the NBCC, the NSCN IM chairman said that the Naga public should pray for early solution and that the initiative of the NBCC be a fruitful one in bringing about a long felt need for unity and reconciliation among the Naga groups.
Emissary to the NSCN (IM) collective leadership, VS Atem also gave his views that the matter be resolved through understanding and acceptance. He said no one can suppress the Naga people if Nagas are one. Welcoming the humility in which the NBCC is praying for the cause of Naga people, Atem pointed out that church is the right platform to exercise the prophetic word of God to the people and that the people must live according to ‘proclamation of Christianity.’
‘Naga people must understand one another and not be defiant but have to be truthful to oneself, to one another and to God because a nation cannot be build on the foundation of falsehood,’ VS Atem added.
Easter Swu, wife of the late Isak Chishi Swu, and Ikato Chishi Swu, general secretary of the CNC who were present at the prayer program, also spoke about the need and desire for unity of the Naga people. That everything is possible through the will of God, they urged the public and the churches to continually pray for the Naga people, the updates added.
Baptist fellowship appeals
The Fellowship of Naga Baptist Association (FNBA) has made an earnest appeal to Christians in the Naga areas to pray ‘beginning from today until understanding arrives among all the sections of Naga people at this crucial moment of our history.’ General secretary of the FNBA, Rev. H Gideon, stated that this is not the time to panic or to spread rumours but a time for the Nagas to spend time in prayer and ‘take the issues to God,’ updates stated on Tuesday.
