Kohima, December 1 (MExN): The Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) today stated that tourists are not visiting the State to drink liquor, but to experience its culture, heritage, and tribal way of life, criticising the partial lifting of prohibition during the Hornbill Festival.
It further noted that the debate over the lifting or continuation of the Nagaland Liquor Total Prohibition Act (NLTP), 1989, has once again resurfaced in view of the reported relaxation of the Act for the tourists.
However, the forefront of the discussion should be on what the State can best showcase its cultural heritage and way of life, contended an NBCC statement issued by its General Secretary, Rev. Dr. Zelhou Keyho.
Although tourists may have the "freedom to drink or not drink in their home countries," if they are coming to Nagaland solely to drink, they are in the wrong state, it added.
According to the Council, the State Government has extracted provisions from the NLTP Act for “alcoholics under medical supervision, to be used for medical purposes, from the provision for the military and paramilitary in their barracks, and the limited provision for hoteliers.”
These provisions and the issuance of permits are stated in the NLTP Act through proper channels, it acknowledged.
However, the NBCC asserted that the provision will make it appear that tourists are here to only to drink, which would “make them feel guilty for being part of the problem.”
“They are in our land to experience our culture and the social fabric of the tribal Nagas, and we heartily welcome them,” it added.
Instead, by banking on an element that has been dividing society, the NBCC said the State has failed to demonstrate maturity to visiting tourists.
A festival is a time of joy where everyone can celebrate oneness, and the people of Nagaland are second to none when it comes to showcasing culture and customs, it maintained.
“Our hospitality, our generosity, and the deep cultural heritage of the Nagas are what we take pride in. But not in something that destroys and divides society,” it added.
The NBCC also noted that liquor has destroyed many individuals and homes, and these are deep-seated problems the church continues to battle.
Accordingly, it asserted that the church continues to stand by the NLTP Act because, rather than building the State, alcohol pushes it backward.
“The church does not believe that liquor can rescue nor build our state. Even though Nagaland is a Christian-majority state, we are far from being perfect, but this is where we stand and we want our visitors to know,” it added.
In this context, in a direct appeal to tourists, the NBCC expressed concern that the effects of the NLTP provision will persist in society long after the festival concludes.
“This is what worries the church,” it added.
To this end, the NBCC expressed hope that the tourists would peacefully experience the culture and leave with positive memories, setting aside the divisive NLTP provision made available to them.
Meanwhile, the NBCC acknowledged that the NLTPA has not been effectively implemented, with liquor continuing to flow despite the church's opposition, and the ongoing debate around either lifting or strengthening the Act persists.
Those in favour of lifting argue from a revenue perspective, stating that Nagaland is "revenue-starved." However, everyone seems to know the ill-effects of alcohol on society in general and the family in particular, it said.
“And yet we continue to ignore this aspect, and the arguments continue,” it added.
As per reports, during a press conference on November 29, Nagaland Tourism Minister Imna Along informed that the Nagaland Government has permitted the sale of IMFL (Indian Made Foreign Liquor) at Kisama during the Hornbill Festival.
