Longleng, May 1 (MExN): The Phom Baptist Christian Association (PBCA) today endorsed the Nagaland Baptist Church Council’s (NBCC) decision to decline the offer made by the State Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to clean the church compound on May 11.
In a statement, the Association pointed out that the church compound is always much cleaner than any other places and instead of such premises it appealed to the party to clean train stations, bus stations, main roads, highways, and offices.
Moreover, the PBCA pointed out that in India's multi-party system, if the “church allows one political party today, then another party may come tomorrow and poke the body of Christ (the Church).”
In this connection, it “cautiously” informed all Phom churches not to entertain any electoral political party to clean their church premises, terming such action “unethical religious practices.”
Meanwhile, the Association asserted that the Christian Church is defined in the Bible as the “body of Christ and Christ is the head of the Church” and thus “living, holy, and divine.”
“A divine institution like the church cannot entertain earthly electoral political party activities within the church parameters, added a statement issued by PBCA Executive Secretary N Tialemba Phom.
Accordingly, the PBCA urged the State BJP President and his colleagues not to initiate this sort of “politically motivated ideological agenda in our land even in the future.”
Instead, on behalf of Naga churches, it requested the party to speak out to the central government headed by the BJP on reported persecution of Christians in India.
“Under the rule of BJP, the religious minorities are experiencing airtight unbearable situations in the largest democratic country,” it maintained.
The statement came in the backdrop of BJP Nagaland reportedly issuing a directive to party district presidents to take up a cleanliness drive at church compounds in all the 60 area constituencies on May 11 to mark the death anniversary of Syama Prasad Mukherjee, falling on June 23.
On April 30, the NPCC issued a statement “politely” declining the proposal.
