Some of those who voted yes had this to say:
• Naga society is a fragile society. It is still immature in many aspects. We are talking about sex, alcohol, drug, and others which infact are alien in many cases. Moral values had been degraded since we are exposed to wide mass media. if unchecked and regulated the whole youthful society has tendency to go out of control. The Traditional set up of a Naga village governance always had laws both oral and natural, that controlled its people from many misgivings and situations. Ours has a tradition towards controlling moral values without which Nagas can't value it. Just close your eyes and think what you have seen last night across the streets and corners of Kohima, Dimapur and Mokokchung... you can't just believe yourself. Where is the law?
• What is the use of law otherwise?
• I doubt the existence of laws in Nagaland, cos nobody listens. But, if there were laws enacted to keep our state healthy..then yes..please do it.
• Yes because we've had too much of independence. Everyone has turned into moral policing esp. student bodies. So why not laws be enacted for all so that vested interest to not exercise their laws forcefully and the citizens also abide by the laws enacted for good.
• Any sane person who understands human nature will see the need to enforce laws pertaining to moral standards. While it may seem like legalism to some, setting moral standards are absolutely necessary for the sanity and survival of any culture. Its absence will result in licentiousness and the eventual decay of our own society. This responsibility also rests on the leaders of the churches in Nagaland who must faithfully teach that the Bible is our standard for moral excellence.
• Many are loosing the good moral values of our land. This generation is taken away by the modern technology.
• An outdated law like customary law is an unjust law.
• What do we call a LAW being passed & not enforced!!! And also, what do we see from a Civilized person!!! (Are We Really CIVILIZED) Huh''
• That will make everybody responsible to maintain good moral values in Nagaland.
• Its a must in order to punish the evil and create corrupt free state n without chaos
• Laws are enacted all over the world only to control moral values.
• Looking at the present scenario we in fact need the long hands of the law. At the foremost are the parents sleeping while their kids and kins are at the verge of making Nagaland into another Sodom and Gomorrah. Isnt moral values suppose to begin at home? But since the parents, elders and leaders themselves have lost their chastity we indeed need to borrow the long hands of the law for a little virgin Nagaland. Our forefathers were naked but they were pure. The present generation is semi naked but vulgar. So to we need a naked but pure Nagaland or a semi naked but vulgarity. Enforce it man, what are you waiting for?
Some of those who voted no had this to say:
• No, after almost 200 years of Christianity it becomes very imperative that we can overcome the enemy, the devil, that has taken deep roots in the society. We only require proper rearrangement of our thinking system, strengthening of our faith – its ideals, virtues, values and culture. And on the basis of those values, the govt can very well enact laws to protect them for the sake of our future civilization i.e. ensuring proper in Christians kind of – learning, development, growth, self sufficiency, maturity, fittingness into society in every day affairs in normal fashion in our society. By enacting such laws we can also get to know the root cause of anti-Naga and anti-Christian elements and the govt can check them. The distracters who don’t want our attention to be focused on God and receive His – forgiveness, redemption, restoration, peace, joy, love, life, happiness to the fullest and then His great salvation – are actually committing gravious moral crime on the society. The govt can also check that (1 of the society’s enemies). The govt should enact laws to encourage the growth of all genuine Christian activities and NGOs wherever they happen to surface, and they also can serve well to control moral values in our society. Just a humble suggestion.
• A big No. Laws are made for every citizen, regardless of the social status. True! But going by the present scenario, if at all laws on moral values or any other laws, are to be enacted, then it should be first made strictly for the politicians and bureaucrats, including the police, for they are the ones who break all the framed laws of the land with impunity. 99.9% general public are law abiding citizens, except for the few black sheep (.01%), whereas it is just the opposite with those people mentioned above. They can get away with anything. Thus law becomes like a spider’s web: “The poor and the weak creatures are caught in the web and the big and the mighty breaks through and gets away…” This is true for the poor and the needy people, they become the real victims. Let the good old established customary law prevail.
• Moral is itself a law.....
• moral values got nothing to do with laws. its got to do with individual self respect. there's too much hypocrisy in Nagaland. lets take an example in churches, I’ve seen some people(when i say people i mean active church members)don't practice what they preach. its really sad and yes what can we say about our govt..words not enough to describe it. we can always advice someone when they are wrong but we cannot force someone to be morally right. In the end it all comes down to an individual self respect, good sense of what’s right or wrong.
• Not at all. Moral values can never be enforced either by force or by law. Values are passed on from one generation to the other and are nurtured through formal and informal education. There is no need to make laws to control moral values, rather they should focus on good quality education.
• Moral starts from ones own heart ..& from home. Send all the child's to Sunday school/children ministry. Everything will be alright if We take care of CHILDREN MINISTRY, that's the only ONE solution for all the problems that is existing today. Nation face terrorist attack frequently, cos those people does not know the true GOD, cos they were not taken care during their chilhood. How hard we work to solve many problems.. & we forget the most important ONE.. that’s the ONLY -Children's Ministry.
• We are a part of a democratic country and so we are not liable to be controlled on moral values. We have that much sense to value our morality.
• It will only make tings worse since human beings are rebellious by nature.
• Human instincts – desire, habits cant be legislated. At best it can trim the branches but cant touch the roots. Why the church itself is the best proof of this! It can lead by saying NO to cars and gifts from the ministers and co, stop having a different smile and rules for Rich members, stop fighting to be posted in Kohima, Dimapur, etc.
• Policing has never worked in controlling moral values. This same formula applies even in school, where the method of policing never full works in the area of moral values. A person's willingness to follow and apply moral values depends on how one is raised in the family b parents, and also what kind of educational system one went too. In the Naga case this is clearly shown through the Morung. In the past the Morung system in every village was well founded on moral values and ethics and because every Naga boy and girl went through this Morung education system the values of honesty, bravery, selflessness, sharing and so on was well ingrained into the Naga mind. No wonder Nagas during those days were well known for their honesty and hard work and so on. But the moment the Morung education system stopped, the Naga society was burdened by corruption, laziness, no self-respect, stealing and so on. Today, no Naga boy or girl goes through this and so the moral values that were strong in the past, is today very weak. While it is not so practical to have the same Morung system as we had in the past, the modern pre-school, kindergarten, Sunday-school, etc can still imbibe strong moral values to our children. If this is done, there is not need for laws to control moral values. Moral values cannot be forced, it must be nurtured.
Some of those who voted OTHERS had this to say:
• And pray tell who’ll enforce it? Surely not the excise departments. It stands many churches don’t have the courage or authority to speak against embezzlement of public money, misappropriation of church money, hypocrisy, adultery, abortion, etc
• In societies that have strong educational system founded on well established moral values, the question of enacting laws does not arise. Laws are seen as a necessity where the moral values are not well founded and established into the society. This itself shows that there is no relation between law and moral values because moral values cannot be forced and neither can it be imposed. Moral values need to be organically cultivated within the educational institutions and systems of a society.
• Neither in my wildest dreams not the govt even toying with this kind of ludicrous idea of enacting moral policing in our state. Of course, the moral standard in many spheres of life here is in a state of degeneration and so the rehabilitation of moral values is deeply needed through collective effort and wisdom of all and sundry. Meanwhile, Naga civil societies also yet to contribute much more along the way. Religion by and large plays an important role in Naga society and most of my fellow Nagas agree with me on it but through my productive interactivity with them from all walks of life most of us to disagree with churches people on several specific issues which they unashamedly practice and stiff neckedly stand their ground to stay relevant in this ever-changing world. Thus Gandhian principles and his humble way of life and promote and spread value of education are perhaps the best recipes for the present ailing Naga society.
