Dimapur, March 13 (MExN): Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) and the Zeme Baptist Church Council (ZBCC)have strongly condemned an alleged late-night raid by Assam Rifles personnel on a Baptist church and its pastor’s residence in Peren district.
The NBCC and ZBCC issued separate statements on Friday expressing deep concern over the operation, which they say took place around 11:00 pm on March 9 at the Samziuram Baptist Church.
According to the NBCC, the behaviour of the personnel towards church workers was a “terrifying ordeal.” The council stated that it is “unthinkable and unacceptable” for army jawans to allegedly “search, threaten and warn church workers inside the church compound,” calling it a direct violation of the sanctity of the church.
“The entry of armed personnel into a place of worship without a warrant or justifiable emergency is a severe violation of sacred space and an act of intimidation against the congregation,” NBCC General Secretary Rev Dr Mar Pongener and Secretary for Social Concern Dr VilloNaleo stated in its release.
The NBCC questioned the rationale behind targeting a church, noting that the Assam Rifles, who call themselves ‘Friends of the Hill People’, are well aware of Naga culture and how the church functions in Nagaland. “The army have their chaplains as Religious Teacher (RT), padres, pundits and monks inside the barracks and army headquarters. Therefore, it is highly questionable why the church premises became the target of a military raid,” the council stated.
“If the Assam Rifles considers the church as a space for breeding violence, insurgency and anti-nationalism,” NBCC asked for “clear explanation and evidence from their intelligence command.”It asserted that churches and associations under NBCC “does not function like the RSS and VHP that promotes and ignites violence and justify such actions.”
“The Church cannot be a silent spectator, watching evil taking its course,” the statement said, while reminding the army of its past actions, including the alleged murder of a field evangelist, Pelesatuo Chase, by the 8th Mountain Division in 1956.
The ZBCC in its condemnation described the raid by the 9 Assam Rifles as “sacrilegious” and an act that has “sent shock across all the ZBCC churches and the surrounding churches.”
The council said that the “disrespectful and irreverent act of violating the sanctity of the church premises” has greatly hurt the sentiment of the church. It said the Church and its premises are a sacred space for believers, therefore, “this incident is greatly disturbing and unacceptable to the church.”
It said the incident forces an internalization of institutional violence, creating fear, tensions and disharmony.
The ZBCC questioned whether the raid signals that the Christian church will be monitored even in a Christian-majority state. “In a state where in every village, town and city, the people look up to the Church as a Spiritual and Sacred place with reverence, will it now become the soft target of Assam Rifle’s regular exercise?” asked Dr RampaukopoingMichui, Executive Secretary of ZBCC.
NBCC demanded a “formal apology” from the perpetrators and assurance from the Assam Rifles that no such incident will take place in future. “We extend our sincere prayers to the affected church workers who are going through mental trauma,” it also added.
Meanwhile, ZBCCmade an appeal to the competent authority to inquire as to how this incident has happened so that such “irreverent and unacceptable incident does not happen again in the future in the Church premises.” It extended sincere prayers for those affected by the incident.
