Z. Lohe
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Nagaland Govt. has been preoccupied by the preparations for the reception of the maiden visit of Mr. Narendra Modi, the Hon’ble PM of India to inaugurate the Hornbill festival of 2014. I can understand the sigh of relief the DAN Govt. has now from the recent shock from Jual Oram, Union Minister for Tribal Development Affairs who expressed the uncertainty of PM’s Kisama itinerary during his visit to Kohima on 12.11.2014. I presume the State Govt’s intention is fixated now on how to implore upon the PM to the extent of prostrating before him so as to get rescued from the ongoing deep financial crisis. I can also imagine that the CM, Nagaland and his colleagues may not like to listen to Modi’s statements on other issues, be it political, developments, social, etc. except the impatience to hear how big would be the amount of the rescuing package to be disclosed. Perhaps, the PM will not depart from Kohima/Kisama without doling out something for the financially malnourished Nagaland despite of NPF and BJP having blow hot-blow cold relationship. Well, it is the botheration of the State Govt.The layman’s concerns are: Will it not be better, for the sake of Nagaland, to let the PM travel from Dimapur to Kohima by road? Former PM Vajpai travelled this road, and he donated Rs.400 crores for its augmentation. In the interest of the general public, if PM Modi takes 2 hours to travel by the same road, he will see himself how transparent is the maintenance of the 29-National Highway, how praiseworthy is the workmanship in maintenance under the active supervision of the State Quality Control Board and how maximum number of sharp curves of British made are preserved all along the whole stretch of the distance during the last 51 years for the sake of posterity.
It would have been much better if the PM Modi is hosted to Christmas celebration which is the greatest festival of Christians. Not to irritate anyone and without sarcasm, but I truly believe that for the first time, if all the tribes living in Capital Kohima have a joint grand Christmas festival and invite the PM Modi to be part of it, in my opinion, will serve dual purpose. The first is Modi’s god had died, never risen and will never ever rise again. Whereas, the God of Naga Christians is alive and will ever remain alive. Modi worships the man-made idols, and the Nagas worship the everlasting living God who is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. It is a duty of Naga Christians to exalt the name of their living God, not the wild bird, before the Hindu PM who is the international crusader for Hinduism. The second is learning this lesson from Bible that neither because of the lack of technical know-how nor due to shortage of requisite materials and labour nor due to paucity of water and food or nor due to any natural calamity that the people in Shinar plain had to abandon the project of a city and its tower halfway. The sole reason is to ‘make a name for ourselves’ was disliked by God and He frustrated the people of arrogance. The Naga Christians popularising the name of a bird may fetch wrath of God. No matter how best DAN Govt. tries to woo PM Modi, the hornbill, the bird, will not change the heart of any man. The hornbill will fall flat at the feet of the Ark of Covenant as the Dagon was. Yet, when the Naga Christians, irrespective of denominations, come and exalt and praise the name of Jesus Christ in presence of PM Modi, the living God will change the heart of Modi, as was with king Pharaoh, to do what are needed to be done for the State of Nagaland, be it clearing liabilities or political issues.
I am sure the State Govt. is getting prepared with the items of gifts to be given to PM Modi. Along with those items, I proposed an item to be included. The reason for my suggestion is: During his visit to USA, PM Modi gifted a copy of Gita to President Obama. Again, his visit to Japan, PM Modi gave the same to Emperor of Japan. An observation on the implication of these events from an insignificant writer will not prick anyone’s sentiment. Yet, if the Prime Minister Modi tries to glorify only Hinduism and represents only the Hindu majority in India during his official foreign tours, he fails to represent the banner of Unity in Diversity. If the PM Modi ignores the quintessence of secularism by being the chief crusader of Hindutsva in foreign lands, then we, Christians are not represented by PM in those official visits to other countries. What INC President Sonia Gandhi recently stated is the reality when she said ‘there can be no India without secularism’. In order to let Modi, as PM of India, represents both religious majority and minorities, a copy of Christian Bible be given to him. To Naga Christians the Bible is important as Gita to PM Modi. Fortunately, PM Modi is coming to the land of Christians who all possessed a Bible each whether one reads it or not.
When the PM of India gives due respect to a religious minority of Christians, it strengthens the fabric of Indian integration. The PM Modi should not be proud of being a Hindu, the majority in the sub-continent. Rather, he should be proud that his country is comprised of diverse colours of rainbow communities, and yet all those varied colours are understood by a single vocabulary as rainbow, and he is expected to be proud of representing a rainbow of diverse communities in unity. When a colour is removed or discriminated from the horizon of rainbow the rest combination of colours does not deserve to retain the word rainbow.
