Says no option but to ‘fast unto death’ if NLTP Act is lifted
The Konyak Baptist Bumeinok Bangjüm (KBBB) ordained ministers have issued a strongly-worded appeal to the Konyak elected members of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly, urging them to reaffirm their commitment to the Nagaland Liquor Total Prohibition (NLTP) Act, 1989. The appeal, appended by 37 KBBB ordained ministers, comes in response to the Government of Nagaland’s proposed decision to partially lift the NLTP Act.
In their letter, addressed to the Konyak elected members, the ordained ministers expressed their deep concern over the potential lifting of the prohibition, emphasizing that Mon district played a “pioneering role in prohibition history.” They recalled that the decision to declare Mon as a ‘dry’ district on October 1, 1988, was the result of “series of prayers, fasting, discussions and personal commitment” among the Konyak churches and civil society.
The ordained ministers voiced their anguish over the possibility of a “serious decline in our social and spiritual sphere,” citing the “social menace” caused by the open sale of liquor in Mon district before the prohibition was enacted. They warned that if the NLTP Act is partially lifted, they would have “no option left but to revisit how it all started on our part as well, i.e., to ‘fast unto death’ once again.”
Even if the prohibition is lifted in other parts of Nagaland, the KBBB ministers affirmed that the Konyak believers are “committed to fight tooth and nail to keep the NLTP Acts active in Mon district.” They urged the elected members to “voice out for tougher law enforcement” rather than succumbing to pressure from certain sections of society.
The letter also raised concerns about the unchecked inflow of liquor, questioning how often the government has discussed how to fix the loopholes in the Excise Department. The ordained ministers cautioned that lifting the Act would lead to a repeat of the “sorry state of affairs we had already experienced.”
The KBBB ordained ministers emphasized that the NLTP Act is “not just a mere agreement on paper, but a covenant that was made between God and churches under Nagaland Baptist Church Council.” They warned the elected members that lifting the Act would mean going “against the ‘covenant of God’.”
The Konyak elected members were also reminded that the “reputation of the strength of Konyaks survived intact from ages past” and were told that the KBBB, as spiritual guardian, “will call upon the Konyak Christians for the mass movement, if and when needed, for safeguarding the ‘covenant’ that was made with God.”
Finally, the KBBB ordained ministers reaffirmed their commitment to the NLTP Act, stating that they “solemnly swear to reaffirm our commitment to keep the NLTP Act blanketed in Mon district at all cost.” They urged the elected members “not to be on board with this idea of lifting the NLTP Act, be it partial or fully” and concluded their appeal with a prayer for “God’s wisdom” to prevail.