MON, NOVEMBER 25 (MExN): Based on the Konyak Union’s resolution passed decades back, the Konyaks have reaffirmed their decision to remain under a single banner of the Baptist Christian and thereby banned the Heraka Cult which was flourishing in the eastern part of Mon district. After a day long meeting convened by the apex Konyak tribal body, which was attended by a good number of Heraka cult followers and the Konyak Baptist Bumeinok Bangjum (KBBB) executives along with KU office bearers, the said decision was taken to ban the cult group. It gave its final decision that the Heraka followers must work under the banner of the recognized KBBB and bring about spiritual and religious development. The KU also directed the group to close down all the prayer centers of the Heraka around the district on or before December 31, failing which, severe action would be imposed on the defaulters in the interest of the Konyaks as a whole.
During the course of the day long meeting, both the sides were given time to speak in their defense. The KBBB members said that the leader of the cult group, Yahoi Konyak, was actually a member of the protestant Christian denomination but she had turned away from her Doctrines to form the cult and misled the people. The KBBB Executive Secretary read out the report containing various activities of the cult which contradicted with the Christian doctrines and values. The report also contained the cult worshipping natural things and establishing Churches (prayer centers) in villages where churches already exist.
Meanwhile the Heraka group denied having engaged in any activities other than that of the Christian norm stating that everything they did was through the blessing of God and nothing was contradictory to the KBBB norms. Though admitting to having built Churches and completed various prayer tours, the Heraka followers held that their leader, Yahoi is absolutely right in doing whatever she had done and in-fact revived and done wonder which could not be done before.
After hearing both sides, the KU reaffirmed its earlier resolution stating that on the same stand, it had banned the Hinduism cult which had sprouted at Wanching village in the 1950s. Therefore this time too, it gave its final decision that there is to be only one religious denomination and the Konyaks is to work under the KBBB banner for the integrity of the Konyaks.
