Dimapur, December 2 (MExN): The NNC/FGN has flayed what it described as the recent decision of the Government of India (GoI) that “denied visa” to Rev Franklin Graham and terming it a “direct insult to the honour of the Naga people.”
Justifying its stance, it stated that Rev Graham is “no ordinary guest,” but the son of the late Rev Dr Billy Graham, a figure deeply revered by Christians worldwide and whose name, it said, “remains permanently etched in the hearts of the Naga people.”
As per the NNC/FGN, when the world scarcely knew of the Nagas or their struggles, late Graham came to the land to preach God’s love, unlike others who came to “exploit or occupy.”
The GoI’s action once again revealed the ill intention of the Indian state, which it argued has be “occupying our land forcefully ever since the British left the Indian sub-continent”
It revealed the contradiction in claiming to preserve and respect Naga culture while failing to understand a basic Naga value, that guests are honoured above all else, the NNC/FGN held.
In this context, it questioned whether the decision was intended to erode the age-old customs and chosen religious faith of the Nagas.
The NNC/FGN stated that actions suppressing minority rights contradict the Indian Constitution, which is often upheld as a guarantor of fundamental freedoms.
The refusal of a visa to Rev Graham, it said, raises questions globally about India’s confidence as a nation.
According to the NNC/FGN, the GoI’s heightened scrutiny of prominent figures from faith communities, human-rights groups, or peace networks, particularly in relation to visits to Nagaland, reflects an attempt to avoid scrutiny of its actions.
It further asserted that the decision undermines the confidence of the Naga people, who have been led to believe that the present government is committed to resolving the Indo-Naga political issue.
It maintained that such actions reinforce the long-held belief among its leaders that Naga identity, customs and religious practices are best safeguarded “when ‘left alone’ to determine our own future”
