Niketu Iralu addressing the gathering on August 6. (Morung Photo)
Morung Express News
Kohima | August 6
Despite the sharp criticism and opposition against the clean election campaign when it was first launched in Nagaland in 2013, the Clean Election Movement with the theme ‘My Vote, My Future’ is being reactivated across the state.
While the campaign received mixed responses and many citizens questioned why the Baptist churches in Nagaland are involved in Clean Election Movement (CEM) and said that there should be a clear separation of the church and the state.
However, Convenor for CEM, NBCC Dr Villo Naleo opined that in a state like Nagaland where 90% of its population is Christian, ‘if Christians do not involve in politics, there is a 100% chance that opportunity is being given to a non-Christian government in a Christian dominated society.’
Delivering the keynote address during the launching programme of CEM at NBCC Platinum Hall, Kohima, Naleo stated that “politics is not dirty; it is us who are making politics dirty because we have the wrong ambition, and use the wrong means to govern people. Politics is not dirty and it should not be misused.”
The programme was jointly organised by the Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) and Angami Baptist Church Council (ABCC).
Clean election is a social responsibility
Naleo clarified that the sole motive of the CEM is not to govern, but to campaign for electing a righteous, God-fearing and honest candidate who will testify God in his/her political career.
Referring to the funds that the government receives for projects in Nagaland, Naleo said the need to elect capable leaders to manage the resources is imperative. “We are responsible for electing the right leader to represent us. We cannot keep blaming the past and become complacent. What we can do is to transform our crisis into something promising for tomorrow,” he added.
On the criticisms and success of the movement, Naleo categorically stated that it has less concern about the technical success of the movement but “what we are concerned is that we Christians must bear witness in exercising our political rights.”
Clean election movement is a social responsibility for every Christian, asserted Naleo and further maintained that everyone does have a choice for electing a candidate who can become the protectors of justice.
“Election is an exercise we all must engage in, it is our duty to exercise the adult franchise, but in the right way. Let us vote out corruption through honesty, sincerity and justice” was his clarion call to the people of the state.
It is time that we elect leaders who will increase our GDP and not only depend on the central government for development. For that to happen, it is crucial for us to keep the process of election clean, the progress clean and the programmes clean.
Elections more threatening every time
Speaking on the occasion, Peace activist Niketu Iralu stated that the crises that elections bring at regular intervals are becoming more threatening every time they come around.
Appreciating the church bodies for their response and commitment to keep the election process clean, Iralu remarked “the enriching rites, rituals and ceremonies of worship inside the church buildings should result in Christians ending wrongs in their lives and bringing about urgently needed changes in their society.”
Elucidating that only good governance will result in proper economic growth and a healthy society not just in material terms, but also in the moral, spiritual and character growth of the people, Iralu viewed that “in the final analysis, unless moral, spiritual and character growth is sustained in us in a large scale, economic growth will vanish and violence and killings will take over.”
To this end, he asserted that clean election should become the new normal practice in the society with the constant reminder that the harsh realities of this society have completely baffled the people.
Iralu called on the gathering to ponder “why the underground Naga struggle for our deeply held aspirations has destroyed itself and it is fast destroying the people for whom the struggle was started in the first place?” He also lamented that the ‘over ground’ state government, the first child, and the first faction of the struggle have greatly destroyed itself and the people for whom it was supposedly brought into existence. “And is it not true that this common, suicidal destructiveness of the underground and the overground is also destroying the church whose members are the Naga people?” he posed.
NBCC General Secretary, Rev Dr Zelhou Keyho observed that the dirty and evil practices of election in the context of Nagaland is no longer skin deep but has permeated deep into our system and urged upon the churches to take this movement seriously forward.
Executive Director, ABCC, Rev Dr Atsi Dolie also remarked that many wrongs in the society that are prevalent today are related to elections, and asked the churches to convince itself as a worthy mission and to do it solely because it is the right thing to do.
It was informed that the Clean Election Movement is being launched simultaneously in all district headquarters across the state today.
