Sumi Hoho appealed to enforce strict ban on sale and consumption of alcohol at Sumi Ki
DIMAPUR, DECEMBER 2 (MExN): The Western Sümi Baptist Akukuhou Küqhakulu (WSBAK), Sümi Baptist Akukuhou Küqhakulu (SBAK), and Sümi Aphuyemi Baptist Akukuhou Küqhakulu (SABAK)—have strongly condemned the Nagaland Government's recent relaxation of the Nagaland Liquor Total Prohibition Act (NLTP Act) to permit the sale and consumption of alcohol during the ongoing Hornbill Festival.
In a letter addressed to the president of the Sumi Hoho, the leaders of the church bodies expressed their dismay over the government's decision. They stated that the Hornbill Festival, a celebration of Nagaland’s cultural heritage, should not be reduced to a platform for “physical merrymaking.”
“Nagas cannot compromise our societal and religious convictions by allowing tourists to consume alcohol in our state,” the letter read. The leaders emphasized that the consumption of liquor is not only detrimental to physical health but also poses a threat to spiritual well-being, calling the government's justification for the relaxation “a mockery of our commitment to God and Christian principles.”
The leaders appealed to the Sumi Hoho to enforce a strict ban on the sale and consumption of alcohol at Sumi Ki, the community's designated area at the Hornbill Festival venue in Kisama. They warned that if their plea is ignored, the church may advise its members to refrain from participating in or attending the festival. “May God save Nagas from the vices of alcoholism,” the letter concluded, urging immediate action to uphold Christian values and societal morality.
