As Nagas commemorate another Platinum Jubilee this time of the Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC), what is the state of affairs of our people? Where do we stand in terms of our government system, politics, economy, society and religious life? As a nation and people are we on the rise or decline? Some may term it as an exaggeration but many will agree that given our present condition—political stalemate and uncertainty, social crisis, religious and moral failings—Nagas as a people and nation should perhaps be worried about what the future holds for us. It may sound naïve but the most fundamental question that we need to ask our selves, which is perhaps the crux of the matter is, are we doing the right things in our politics, work places (whether as a public servant or private individual), in our social/tribal relations or in our religious life. It is sometimes good for us to question ourselves and take a deep, long and hard look where we are and the kind of future we want for ourselves and our children. While we should not have a negative attitude about life itself, nevertheless how we live—the right way is going to determine the quality and goodness of our people, society and nation. Are we good or bad?
It’s time to be concern about ourselves, because only then, we will be in a position to address the question of reform and revival. And there is absolutely no doubt that Nagas if we are to rise up to living a better and more meaningful lives; we need to change from bad to good and from darkness to light. As a people, having commemorated 100 years of Christianity, perhaps it is not so much to ask ourselves to become better committed Christians if we want to see the fruit of the spirit—love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. And isn’t these things the need of the hour for us to imbibe. If we really are true Christians, Nagas can become a better and more holy people. If Nagaland is really for Christ, as we triumphantly claim, then we need to put Christ first—a tall order indeed but if we can do this then God will transform us and renew our spirit to become a better people. And that is where we need to put our efforts towards.
At another level we need to identify our priorities in order to build a strong nation. Recently in the wake of concern that the American people (United States) was in decline, one political science professor disputed these claims and argued why the US and its people were unlikely to be superseded by another country or people anytime soon. While it is not fair for us to be compared with the US, nevertheless we can learn from them and take some of the positives. Firstly it is acknowledged that the US colleges and universities top global rankings. The right education for today’s global needs and having the institutes to harness the mind of the people is something Nagas should also be mindful of. Second is the vast energy resource that the US has—it is less dependent on oil than most great powers. Our land is also known to possess oil, coal, gas and other energy resource. For whatever reasons, Nagas have not been able to tap into this wealth. Then another reason the US is still powerful is because it has “many trustworthy allies”. Perhaps Naga people will have to start building bridges with our neighbours and make friends with other peoples. How many can we count as friends and allies around us? One more factor behind its power is that the US has the world’s best entrepreneurs and most Fortune 500 companies and also its economy is strong.
For the last many years, our Naga people, we have become obsessed with politics and power. Perhaps it is time to get our priorities right and harness our overall potential in all spheres of activity. At the same time let us also remember that unless we change for the good and do things the Christ (right) way, all other things we strive for—political rights, economic prosperity and social harmony-peace—will be without the blessing. In thought with the NBCC Platinum Jubilee theme, this is an opportunity to become “one new humanity in Christ”. Perhaps our answer lies there—to embrace Christ if we want to rise as a nation and people.
