Z Lohe
For the first time in the history of Durga puja celebrations, the Hindus thoroughly misused the Naga cultural and religious motifs in the decoration of one of their pandals for their goddess Durga during the just concluded Durga puja celebration. The unique and exclusive clothes/sash/Naga national house and other designs that originally and historically belonged to the Nagas for their religious and cultural aspects were used as if without which the Hindus lacked enough of their appliqués for such celebration.
Y.P. Gupta, President of Hindu Seva Samiti, Dimapur clarified that the Hindus in Nagaland had not profaned Christianity but it was those Hindus in Kharagpur, West Bengal according to his verification as published in local papers on 6.10.2022. May be true, and yet it is one sided report since the reality as to whether the very pandal was in West Bengal or here in Nagaland is not known till it is verified by a competent authority. Under the initiative of the Dimapur Hindu Seva Samaiti, it deems fit for the culprit, whoever it may be, to tender unconditional public apology to the Nagas and commitment that such will not be ever repeated henceforth.
Nevertheless, no matter wherever the venue of the controversial pandal might be, the motive behind those Hindus who used the exclusive properties of the Naga Christians was with malicious intentions. Even though our forefathers were animists, they had neither idols nor worshipped idols. The revered only an unknown spirit till the advent of Christianity 150 years ago. Therefore, there is no relationship whatsoever between Hindu religion and Naga animism not to speak of Christianity. The recent misuse of the Naga motifs was not accidental but intentional with the theme to undermine, provoke, hurt and desecrate Naga Christianity and culture through such bully as usual. I believe this very act has the dual purpose, one is political in view of the approaching State Assembly election, and the other is to marginalize the Naga Christianity through coercive maneuverings.
All through these years, the Christians in India have been the soft target of the Hindus whose RSS, VHP, Bajrang Dal, etc. work forces used to persecute the Christians all the time. The Hindus in India virtually refused to learn love and compassion from the very instance of how the widow Gladys Staines who forgave the murderer Dara Singh and cohorts from Bajrang Dal who burnt her husband late Graham Staines and their two young children on 23rd January, 1999 to death in Odisha State. Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Lord and Savior of mankind came to this corrupt world to forgive and deliver the perishing souls and not to condemn the sinners. The Staines family was the true follower of Jesus Christ, and thus Mrs. Gladys forgave the murderers in the name of Jesus Christ as taught and learned from the Holy Bible. It is not too late for the Hindus to learn from the given lesson so as to rise above barbarity and become more sensible human beings.
The RSS and the BJP, as we all know, are the two in one. The RSS is the religious wing of Hinduism and the BJP is the political wing. The RSS is the sponsor of its political wing BJP which draws its strength from the sponsor. Since the BJP has already made inroads into Nagaland by producing 12 MLAs in 2018 election, perhaps not only the BJP but including the Hindutva activists are eying on forming its own or BJP led Govt. in the next election in Nagaland. The latest profaning of Christianity is therefore a prelude as to how the faith of the Nagas in Jesus Christ can be impeded and the Christian image in Nagaland is defaced nationally and internationally. The ploys are both direct and indirect invasion on our faith.
Whereas, the Christians in Nagaland are always found wanted in defense of our faith in Christ. We all watched how Great Britain paid the last homage to her late Queen Elizabeth 11 a few days ago. One of the stated accreditations conferred on the late Queen was her relentless defense for the faith of the Nation, that is the faith of the British in the Living God Jehovah. America being the strongest nation in the world, it always plays the parental role for the weak and needy in the world. Jehovah made America great and strong for the sake of world’s peace. The latest instance is how America boldly and practically stood with Ukraine against the invader Russia. America used to be the major donor of material help to any nation in distress. Learning from the said precedents, Nagaland, in the name of Nagaland for Christ, definitely has role to play when fellow Christians in particular are in distress anywhere in India. Nagaland, having the highest concentration of Christian population in India, is expected to shoulder pro-active leading role in times of need in defense of our faith. The expressed indignation is not without evidence. Had we done enough when the major Christian holidays like Christmas and Good Friday were distorted by BJP ministry? Half a decade ago, the Govt. of Nagaland contemplated to inaugurate the Rani Gaidinliu Memoral Hall at Kohima. Needless to elaborate the possible consequences of such memorial building. Had not the Kohima Village Youth Organization (KVYO) and the Kohima Village Council jointly voiced against it along with NTC, that hall would have become a very busy hub today. As much as the Acupuncture is the offshoot of Chinese cultic belief, the Yoga, too, is the offshoot of Hindu mythology. The Dimapur Ao Baptist Arogo(DABA) did well in its inability to have the visit of Shri. JP Nadda, President, BJP to its church recently in view of more important preoccupation of DABA. Appeasing Christians in Nagaland for the sake of vote and harassing fellow Christians in Hindu dominated States must not be entertained. We must stand firm against such attempts to adulterate our faith. In 2 Corinthians 6:14-18, the Christians are directed not to yoke together with the idolaters. The idolaters, etc. will not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9,10). The State Govt. and the Christians in Nagaland failed to oppose the imposition of Yoga and Hindi language in our land. Our malleability and fragility have become the red carpet reception to intrusions.
Whatever might have been the enthusiasm of the Hindutva cadres to frustrate and relegate the minority religious communities by means of intrusion into mosque by its cadres shouting ‘Bharat mata ki jai’ during Dusshera in Bidar, Karnataka, and also emboldening its cadres by certain Hindutva leader somewhere else with the promise that the country will no more celebrate Christmas henceforth, the Lord Jehovah ultimately prevails as found in Proverbs 16:9. It is pertinent to remind the Hindus that despite being the 79.8% majority, the minority Muslims and Christians in particular can never be erased from the face of India no matter how ardently the Hindutva fanatics do try. The more the Hindutva cadres become more relentless in their campaign against the minorities, the bigger will be the dimensional damage to communal harmonies, and it ultimately weakens the Unity in Diversity. If India has to become robust in unity, its realistic diversity has to be given practical recognition as enshrined in Art 25/26 of the Constitution of India. Those Hindutva fanatics who are bereft of patriotism, are hell bent to irk, provoke and cause communal disharmony between the Hindus and the other minorities in the name of making India a robust nation, a nation of only Hindus, are rather weakening and tarnishing the secular image of India internationally.
