In a statement, Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) general secretary Rev Dr Zelhou Keyho, said negligence and selfishness should not become the norm at this time and called upon the State government to act wisely so as not to create further chasms in the Naga family.
Expressing its deep concern over the challenge posed by COVID-19, along with the plight of the patients both in Nagaland and outside, the council observed that the virus had devastated the world. And considering the speed at which the virus was spreading, it said cooperation at all levels was paramount to promptly respond and battle the pandemic. Calling for transparency and coordination, the release urged the government to take all stakeholders into confidence and develop a responsive mechanism to combat the pandemic collectively.
Calling for not making selfish and hasty decisions to protect oneself and one’s own community at this juncture due to fear and insecurity, NBCC urged everyone to shy away from the command and control mode and give way to developing a harmonious and efficient inter-district coordination mechanism.
“At this crucial time, we cannot afford to let any of our action or decision being misconstrued as one of favouritism as it can breed a culture of mistrust. The consequences can be costly creating a spirit of animosity in the society just as it happened when Rebecca loved one son more than the other (Genesis 25:28). Paul in his letter to the Corinthians says, ‘If one part suffers, every part suffers with it…” Our motive therefore must be sincere, serving one another with all that we have and do all that we can,” the release stated.
To overcome the extraordinary challenges ahead, NBCC said both the government and people must have mutual trust and commitment to genuinely work together.