Achilo Thong,
President, EUUN
A number of political leaders have highlighted their various views and opinions in the press media on whether the church must involve in politics. Some have the opinion that the church must not involved in the same.
Politics is a practical term involving people to choose their representatives in this democratic system of government. Various political parties are formed with manifesto to attract the grass root level of people and field party candidates and form governments through adult suffrage. In fact, these people are the backbones of democracy and political parties for whom the government is formed. No political party and no democracy can exist without the support of the people. Democracy means government of the people, by the people and for the people. Democracy is formed when representatives are chosen by the people to serve them. It also implies that politics is clean when people get fair chance to elect their right representatives to the legislatives assembly. Politics itself is not dirty. It is we human beings, who have dirtied politics. Criminalization of politics and entry of criminals and men with unethical backgrounds into politic have much negative impacts on the society. Gross corruption, mismanagement of affairs, misuse of opportunities, blame game, shifting of responsibilities and act of non commission are some major products of dirty politics which have led to growth of unemployment, poverty, social backwardness and imbalanced social problems.
While the church, on the other hand, is an institution of faith and belief of Christians. The church is to promote the principles of Jesus Christ. And a Christian means a person who has accepted the teachings and the principles of Christ. The church has been influencing politics since the biblical times and it must continue to do so. The Christian churches in Nagaland can bring great positive change in the Naga society if all the church leaders truly practice and propagate Christianity. Our church leaders must practice what they preach but they don’t. The church too has failed its parts as a result the present generation is compelled to see all unwanted situation. Are we Nagas not Christians from the bottom of our hearts! God must have been angry with us. Churches in our state are spending huge amount of money to spread Christianity abroad when they fail to do justice to their own members. It shows that they are not well enlightened. They need to be true Christians at home, market place, working place, public place and everywhere and not only in the church.
Both the politics and church are parts of our life and we cannot separate them. Every man is directly or indirectly involved in politics as he is a political animal. And a political animal practices faith and belief. Election is just the beginning of politics. The real politics begins with the formation of every new government. And since we Nagas have accepted Christ as our savior, Christianity is our religion and the church our institution. Hence, the church must involve in politics to cleanse the system and heal the wound made by dirty politics. In fact, we Nagas are passing through a pre-matured state in which both politics and church need to correct each other for the benefit of the people.
