The Naga journey to Bethel

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he past week ended on a high note with the Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) observing the 50th anniversary of the first Cease-fire agreement in 1964 in a befitting manner, Church bells rang out across the state to mark the occasion. But sadly, instead of fifty years good investment accruing a rich harvest we find our lockers barren. The day came amidst cries from all quarters of society for the multiple Naga underground factions to keep their differences aside and unite for one cause that of ‘soverignity’ which they all claim to be representing..Others have pointed out the absurdity of the current reality.” We have the following Factions in the fray: (1). NNC (Accordist); (2). NNC (Non-Accordist) ;(3). NSCN (IM); (4). NSCN (K); (5). NSCN (Unification); and (6). NSCN (Kitovi/Shingya), all professing their commitment as warriors of sovereignty. Are the Nagas fighting for 6 different types of sovereignty or is it just for one? If it is for that one and only one sovereignty then how will the Factions explain their multiple existence? ( KK Sema The Naga Peace Process .. the battle for accountability by ACAUT) After fifty years of going about Naga affairs the ‘mortal’ way we must pause to reflect and recognize that the circumstances that led to the first ceasefire was prompted by the ‘bloody’ situation that swept across our land as soldiers of the Indian army clashed with Naga soldiers. The tide has turned. Instead of ‘external’ forces suppressing our ideals, we have become our own greatest enemy.What we now flee from much appears to have many parallels with Jacob the Biblical character who was fleeing from his brother Esau whom he had robbed of his birthright. Are we also guilty of robbing many of their birthrights. People whom we work with, do business with, people who work for us, people who we govern and whom we serve? Should we then not rest a while after fifty weary years which has been spent not getting us closer to our goal but further away from it and revisit to see what wrong turns we have taken along the way? In his recent summary of the Peace Mission by NBCC titled, 6th September 2014 the 50th year of Peace Day’ Kenneth Kerhuo reminds us of the beginnings of why and how the ceasefire was brought about. He says ‘there was no security of life, whether young or old, man or woman, as every Naga was treated as an enemy by the Indian Army at one time. Inspite of all this, there was none who dared speak for peace and justice. Seeing all these happenings, the Church could not continue to remain a silent spectator. Prayer requests for peace had to be sent out to the churches throughout Nagaland. This was a challenging moment and the church leaders felt called upon to take the risk of bringing peace in the strife torn land of ours in conformity with the Christian principle of peace and reconciliation. As the restoration of permanent peace and a peaceful solution of the Indo- Naga political problem was the greatest concern of the Churches in Nagaland, the NBCC had to take a number of steps until a formal resolution was passed at the third Naga Baptist Convention held at Wokha in 1964 to set up a Peace Mission for the purpose of exploring ways and means to bring about a final solution to the vexed Naga political issue through peaceful means. (64 Quoted in KeviyiekielieLinyu, Christian Movements Nagaland, , pp. 210-212). He goes on to say “Our society at any given time, is not more or less than what it really is as seen and known by God our Creator. We are the product of all we have done which we should not have done, or not done which we should have done. We cannot deny our acts of commission and omission, individually and as tribes and factions, have produced a society that has become unmanageable in its viciousness, selfishness, greed, cynicism and insecurity”.“The time has come for all who care for God’s ways to prevail in the world to act boldly together trusting fully in Him to guide and provide. The first step in the venture will obviously be to identify and flag all the issues where we know things have gone wrong and we have lived in without addressing them properly as God would require us to do. These issues that really make us poor in spirit and inadequate are the areas where God wants us to meet Him and one another’. (See Part 2 No. 12 in Volume I of the book “Walking the Path of Despair and Hope: Understanding and Justifying the Ways of God”, by NBCCfor the full text.) We begin the next fifty years of a God given ceasefire that brokered peace, God forbid we blunder this time.