From the beginning of Nagaland and statehood, the churches in Nagaland have committed to pray for the state and the government. Every time a new government is formed, the church leadership represented by NBCC met with the Chief Minister and his Cabinet Ministers to pray and to submit a list of concerns for the welfare of the people and the state in which liquor was a regular item to be addressed and regulated. Enough time and opportunity passed by but instead of regulating and minimizing it, liquor licenses multiplied often associated with pornographic videos in many places. By the year 1989, many potential young lives were swept away and many others fell victims to this menace of liquor. Moral and socio-economic problems leading to the loose of life and morality is a joint responsibility of both the church and the state. Lives must be saved and the upcoming new generation must not even need to know this evil habit.
Since the common concern must be addressed jointly by the people and the state in the common interest and welfare of the people, the church leadership first met with the then chief Minister S.C. Jamir who encouragingly said, “Many States have gone for Liquor Prohibition and failed, but it does not mean that Nagaland should not go for it and succeed as well”. Thereafter, the churches intensified the struggle against liquor and launched prayer and fasting program including a week long Hunger Strike which resulted in the enactment of the Liquor Total Prohibition Act 1989. We were deeply grateful to all who supported the movement especially the Naga Mothers Association and their allies.
Over the years there have been numerous comments, arguments and strong views against the Prohibition quoting revenue losses and other negative undesirable impacts rendering the Prohibition to become a mockery in a Christian State. Has it become beyond repair and repentance? A first amendment was made in 1994. What really stands in the way for an effective implementation and how to overcome them? Lack of sufficient intelligence and collective will-power including political will often appear but we continue to rely on ‘the power that be’.
In the mean time, enough in-roads have been made. Trucks carrying cartoons of liquor were caught by security forces, not by the State police, after passing through several police check -posts. Vehicles of high officials were involved in liquor business. While government sponsored programs such as the Hornbill Festivals and Road shows could be considered innovative and a brilliant idea to show-case the best Naga Culture and latest development activities in the state, let alone the cost involved, it is contradictory in terms as the free flow of liquor is allowed openly when the prohibition act is in force- and for which the implementation agencies continue to suffer lack of man-power, vehicles and other equipments to carry out their duties effectively. The hidden characters with the inner morality, however, remain questionable. Are we not behaving like Lot’s wife who turned into pillar of salt because she looked back? When General Election comes, the prohibition Bill with many Christian becomes intimate mends of liquor.
With the emerging trend, it is understandable that one may think of partial or total lifting of the prohibition not realizing that government efforts were less than half -hearted and the Naga character and morality has gone down the hill speedily over decades of statehood. An opinion poll conducted a year ago shows something of today’s mentality when a good majority supported Delhi high Court’s verdict to legalize homosexuality, with only 2% margin to those who oppose it. While morality cannot be regulated by legislation, the substance like liquor can be. To drink or not to drink liquor is a personal choice whether or not there is a prohibition act, but everybody knows that liquor tortures families and cost us so heavily in terms of potential precious lives lost incomparable with any amount of revenue to the state government. To believe or not to believe is a personal choice and decision? Yet God acted and gave His word: ‘Those who live by the sword shall die by the Sword” We must do away with the sword of alcohol. It is time that the State government invest in modernizing its machineries and team up its man-power to intensify the battle.
The churches have been serious in carrying out their responsibilities of educating, reasoning together, counseling and persuading members with alcohol problems to think, count the cost and change fur the better. The result is encouraging and hopeful. We shall continue our efforts.
We believe that it is not beyond our ability to overcome all hurdles and inherent problems relating to the implementation of the Prohibition. We have a strong Christian leadership at the State Legislative Assembly. They shall respect their own legislation. They cannot afford to yield and bow to the powers of adversaries such as rampant imports and sales of liquor or other related offences and crimes. The legislators have a paid Chaplain for their spiritual worship and fel1owship. They will stand true to their faith and commitment in Christ and be a willing to guide the way, the truth and the Life. It may be testing time but lives must be saved. They sang once and they can sing again, • We shall overcome, oh, deep in my heart I do believe we shall overcome”. The women and children will join the singing. The Churches wilt sing together. The whole society can sing together if we believe the possibility of the impossible.
The churches shall fully cooperate with all positive changes and necessary amendments in the Act to curb liquor wm our God-given land. Partial lifting will be suicidal. Total lifting would be a license to kill in exchange for revenue. The churches must opt for life in its fullness. For all intent and purposes, we stand by the verdict of the scripture: “What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his life?”.
Rev. L. Bizo
President, Council of Naga Baptist Churches (CNBC)
Rev. Dr. V.K. Nuh
General Secretary, Council of Naga Baptist Churches (CNBC)
