Rev Puni Mao recounts experience in China in CNC Jubilee message
Reverend Puni Mao, a member of the Collective Leadership of the NSCN, shared key moments that shaped the Council of Nagaland Churches (CNC) during its 50th anniversary, emphasizing its mission to unite the Naga people through faith amidst political struggles. He began his journey with the national movement in 1974, a time when the brutality of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) had wreaked havoc across the land. He recalled, “When I joined the NNC, I met many courageous and brave soldiers in our hideout camps, but spiritually, many of them were lost. There was no one to guide them, to save their souls from the bondage of sins that warfare inevitably brings. They were confused and started to question—if we were to give our lives for our motherland, but our hearts remained untransformed, what was the point of all the sacrifice? This question burdened our soldiers and leaders alike.”
In response to this spiritual vacuum, the NNC federal government reached out to the Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) for spiritual guidance. “We pleaded for pastors and spiritual leaders to come and preach to our national workers, to help them find salvation and strengthen their faith in Christ. But many were afraid—afraid of the Indian army’s retribution for associating with the national workers, who were labeled as terrorists. We were even rejected for affiliation with the NBCC, being told that we were underground lawbreakers, sinners, and killers, and that they could not be part of our mission,” he recalled.
This rejection, however, strengthened CNC’s resolve. “Amidst our isolation, there was a deep yearning among our soldiers to know God,” Rev. Mao said, highlighting that CNC was formed from this spiritual need—a dedicated council to serve the spiritual needs of national workers independently.
One of the most remarkable episodes in CNC’s history was Rev. Mao’s experience in China, where he advocated for a place of worship. Despite the country’s strict communist policies, which often suppressed religious practices, he managed to secure a cinema hall as a temporary church venue for Naga devotees. “I fought tirelessly with the Chinese authorities to allow me to build a church in a communist country for our nation,” he recounted, underscoring how faith was sustained even under restrictive conditions. His efforts garnered unexpected support from Chinese officials, who, recognizing the devotion of the congregation, eventually promised to assist in building a permanent place of worship “at the right place and right time.” This encounter, according to Rev. Mao, served as a testimony to the unifying power of faith and resilience.
(Read the full article here)