Church and govt have joint responsibility in shaping Naga society: Jacob Zhimomi

February 5, 2024 15 Views No Comment

Morung Express News
Niuland | February 5

While noting that the Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) has played an important role in shaping the Naga society, Jacob Zhimomi, Nagaland Minister, PHED & Cooperation, today, stated that it was a joint responsibility between the elected government and the church to serve the same people while being the “backbone of our State.”

Addressing the delegates and church leaders from different associations and churches across Nagaland and beyond during the last day of the 23rd Triennial and 87th Annual Gathering of NBCC, Zhimomi thanked God for the privilege given to the newly created district in hosting the conference.

Zhimomi said that while the State has a “very stable government, we still need to work very hard,” in the sense that there is a lot of gap to filled. He mentioned that unity and cooperation amongst the tribes is required, calling upon the Baptist church head to work hand in glove with the government, who are both answerable to the people and also to God.

While the Nagas are generally seen as one people, however, he said that the complexity of 17 tribes, speaking different languages, in 16 districts is unknown to the people outside the state. “In reality we do not understand each other’s language,” he said.

Stating that each tribe has a distinct language and culture, Zhimomi noted that the state has a mammoth task to unify the districts. While development is important, to unify the 17 tribes is going to be a challenging task, where the role of the church is going to be crucial to take the state forward, he added.

Nagas are said to be a simple and modest people, but the Minister regretted it is not so in many cases. “We want to be humble but… We do so only by lip service and word of mouth, contrary to our actions.”

Citing this very nature to be the reason why “disunity still exists” in the society, Zhimomi called upon the gathering that we need to go back to one’s district and share the message of oneness and of coming together.

He stated that attempts are being made by the state government in this direction and cited the Hornbill festival as one of the instances of bringing all the 17 tribes in one podium. He said that the intention has been to build a strong foundation. “If we are to live together, we have to be one and unite.”
Expressing joy to be able to share this thought with the church leaders, Zhimomi reiterated that the Naga society requires a strong foundation “based on the principles of Christ.”

While the government of the day needs to economically uplift the people, yet, he held that it also has its own limitations. For this reason, he urged the churches to work together so that the “very purpose of us being elected is justified.”

Zhimomi also touched on the income tax exempt status of Nagaland. He said, “If you earn 100 rupees, you have to pay 30 rupees to the government from your income which is called income tax to the government.” An obligation for citizens in most of the other states, he said that Nagaland is exempt because of the reasons cited in Article 371 (A).

While the IT-exempt status has its benefits, he said that it has left little reason for the people to place demands on the government.

“As church members, we have to be aware of our surroundings, of how we are placed…” he said, while imploring the gathering to understand the positioning of the state government and educating the people in this regard.

Nevertheless, he said that the Nagas are transforming and in the trajectory to growth. He added, “We are peace loving people. We have transformed from war warriors to peace warriors.”

He prayed that God will help the society in the collective effort to help the Naga people move forward with the church as the spiritual government and the elected government representing the Naga people politically. “If we work in tandem, definitely Naga society is going to progress. Development is not only about infrastructure, but being good humans and building good relationship amongst the society is an asset and an integral part of development,” he said.