The objective of the Nagaland Baptist Church Council’s clean election campaign, which was kick started with the release of a booklet, “Engaging the powers: Elections- A spiritual issue for Christians”, is noteworthy and needs to be applauded by all section of society. However what is disappointing is that even though all of us, at some point or the other, have condemned the system of election prevailing in our State, yet there has been no positive response from any quarter to the initiative undertaken by the NBCC. The complete silence of our political parties, civil society organizations like the Naga Hoho, Naga Mothers and Naga Students Federation or not to forget the numerous tribal hohos, all this goes to show that the clean election campaign undertaken by the NBCC is going to be one arduous journey, which perhaps will need a lot of convincing and breaking down the walls of money and muscle power. The NBCC has stated that it will be “fighting a spiritual fight to bring in clean and fair elections”. According to the NBCC, its sole purpose is to “tell the truth, to fight for the truth, to stand for the truth and to bring about a positive change in our society”. This, it plans to do by “praying, participating and educating our people” that election is the “right means of choosing the right leaders to lead our state”. What the NBCC is undertaking is very timely and a step in the right direction. But obviously there has to be more public support otherwise the Church alone will not be able to do it.
Perhaps the NBCC should use its networking to rope in the Naga Hoho, Naga Mothers, Naga Students Federation and use the reach of these civil society groups to engage on the clean election campaign. While the Church can always pray about clean elections, the changes we seek can come about only through the involvement of the State, the political parties, tribal hohos, village councils, youth organizations and women groups. An election is usually about grass root participation and mobilization and it is for this reason that the clean election campaign must center on educating the local youths, village councils, different citizens forum both in the villages, small towns or urban areas. As noted by the NBCC, the devastating tentacles of state elections have spread to all aspects of Naga life: individuals, families, villages, churches, tribes, traditional and government institutions. And it is for this reason that the role of the Church must necessarily go beyond the pulpit or prayer. It must take a more pro-active role and not just appeal to the moral conscience of people.
When it comes to engagement of civil society and Church on the challenges brought about by conduct of elections, Mizoram should be seen as a role model state. While the Church there has been appealing for clean election since the early 1970s, the Young Mizo Association (YMA) has been taking a pro-active role to ensure free and fair election. A State level Coordination Committee on Election was also formed in 1993 involving the Church and civil society. This has now been improved upon through the formation of Mizoram People Forum, an organization constituted by a conglomerate of Churches and major NGOs to reform politics and elections in the State of Mizoram. Former Chief Election Commissioner of India James Michael Lyngdoh reportedly made the remark that Mizoram is the easiest state to conduct elections. Electioneering in Mizoram is known to be orderly without any kind of goondagiri, which in all probability is thanks to the influence of the Church and civil society groups like the Young Mizo Association. If Mizoram can do it, surely Nagaland as a Christian State can also do it. The clean election campaign will require synergy and coordination between the Church and Naga civil society.
