The Rising People’s Party (RPP) has issued a strong statement urging the Dimapur Municipal Council (DMC) to reconsider its decision to declare Sundays as a day for business transactions. The party emphasized that “Nagaland is a Christian state” and asserted that “every other citizen of India who has made Nagaland their homes are guests of this state.” This, the RPP said, is a fundamental that should be understood by the Dimapur Municipal Council (DMC) before declaring Sunday as a day of business transaction.
The RPP criticized the state government’s prioritization of the Hornbill Festival over the sanctity of the Sabbath, stating, “It’s unbecoming of the state government to give undue importance to Hornbill Festival while utterly neglecting the sacrilege being committed on Sabbath days by its affiliated agencies such as the DMC.”
“It befuddles the RPP that under the garb of the so-called ‘Festive Season’ the DMC should normalize Sabbath day as any other day of the week,” the RPP press statement read. The party noted that “when none of the ULBs in the other districts have issued such notifications, the DMC issuing such gives the impression that the municipal body has succumbed to pressure.”
The RPP stated that “Sabbath/Christmas is not to be trivialized nor commercialized,” urging that citizens should have sufficient time to shop during the weekdays without compromising their religious beliefs. “Out of the seven days in a week, any citizen should have ample time to exercise their shopping activities during the weekdays,” they added, criticizing the DMC for “blatantly hurt[ing] the sentiments of devout Christians taking advantage of the Christmas season.”
In addressing the issue of Sunday shop openings, the RPP called for all legislators across political parties and various church organizations to reach a consensus. “It’s imperative that the Christian state of Nagaland take this issue seriously,” it urged. The party stressed that the government and its affiliate organizations must recognize that “despite our varied political stance and views we do not stray from the core principles of Christian ethics and principles.”
The RPP issued a warning, stating, “Unless we the stakeholders take corrective measures now, the coming generation of Nagas will end up as ‘Wokes’ or spiritual illiterates, and this may well spell the end of our culture and identity, including our Christian identity.”