Christianity has been made the center point of the Naga’s current social order which brought with it new styles of clothing, customs and rituals, new forms of etiquette for polite society, new medical approaches, and, perhaps, new ways of thinking. The Nagas, amongst whom Christianity was spread through missionizing campaigns, to a large extent cast away their traditions including indigenous clothing, customs, values and beliefs which were all described as being pagan, heathen and barbaric. During this initial period, people were denied the space and thought processes to make imperative adjustments of their worldviews, indigenous knowledge systems and spirituality with their new found religion. Removed from the core of their being, their culture – and, most importantly, their humanity, the acceptance of a colonialist version of Christianity marked a turning point in the Naga people’s resistance.
Consequently, the Church and its operation in modern-day Naga society has to be looked at first in terms of the way it was introduced to the Naga people. As Steve Biko (the South African freedom fighter) would say, “… if Christianity in its introduction was corrupted by the inclusions of aspects which made it the ideal religion for the colonization of people, then, nowadays in its interpretation it is the ideal religion for the maintenance of the subjugation of the same people.” The church’s historical existence was introduced in the colonizing process which prevents it from being relevant to the present day context and situation of the people. Furthermore, it creates a dependency wherein, the church, as a result, cannot exist without State powers; thereby effectively removing from its center – the people.
Without a doubt a paradigm shift is needed as Christianity can no longer remain abstract and removed from people’s realities. In order to be applicable it must have meaning in the Naga people’s given situation. If a people are oppressed, then the Church must have something to say about their oppression. A truthful assessment and recognition of these historical relations and experiences can create space for the Church to begin a sustainable process that will make possible a shift away from its present position of neutrality and passivity. This would help the Church rediscover that its existence is interconnected to the people, while at the same time empower the Church to reclaim its moral courage to assume its prophetic role in nation building as defined and determined by the people’s will.
The question of mutual understanding and critical accommodation is a political issue that requires political redressal. The Naga Churches have before them an opportunity to intervene and guide the Nagas by incorporating a guilty minority and a fearful majority into an entity focused on the politics of justice and compassion recognizing that only together we can be free and human. It is true that a peoples’ like the Nagas without faith cannot move forward, however, if our faith in our Creator is patterned through the eyes of people who were part of the colonizing process, then obviously, something is wrong in that relationship and our vision will impair building a shared humanity.
