DIMAPUR, APRIL 22: Founder President of National Christian Council (NCC), Dr. Sam Paul on Friday named Dimapur’s Eastern Bible College (EBC) an integral part of NCC and would be used for training of Christian Missionaries for the whole of India as well as NCC leaders and for the member of Churches and organisations throughout the country.
Interacting with media persons here at the premises of EBC, Dimapur, Paul said that the college will serve as a beacon of light for the whole country and Asia and for other parts of the world too. It may be mentioned that NCC as an organization works in the areas of uplifting minorities and with its entry in Nagaland, it has made its presence across 24 States in India. It also has 17 different branches.
Paul, who is in Dimapur to attend the graduation ceremony of EBC, scheduled to take place on April 23, said that for development to happen in Nagaland, the ongoing Indo-Naga political issue needs to be settled, which would lead to job creation and remove the need for migration of youths.
He urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take special action to establish peace and harmony in the region, as well as to ensure that Nagaland’s development continues apace and that the Ministry of Development of the North Eastern Region (MdoNER) can carry out the schemes.
He also appealed to all Northeastern State Chief Ministers, including Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, to ensure that the region thrives with needed job opportunities and that a futuristic infrastructure is in place to create an environment conducive to job creation and wealth creation.
When asked about the rising religious intolerance in India, Paul stated that it is very disheartening and a dangerous trend that is a threat to democracy and he urged fundamentalist groups to uphold India’s great tradition of ‘vasudeva kutumbakam’. He added, however, that only a few were propagating the disharmony and that a few media outlets, politicians and police officers had joined them and that if they are left unattended, they would grow.
On the anti-conversion bills being tabled in various States, he said that the bills will be the official persecution of the Government and stated that forced conversion is a lie as it goes the very principle of Christianity and questioned why a person needs to approach a District Magistrate under the bill to get converted to a religion of his/her choice when he/she can choose the person he/she wants to represent him/her in the Government by voting.
NCC Nagaland President and Vice President NCC Northeast India Rev. Dr. TN Lotha Jr. on the question if NCC is going to play a bigger role in the ongoing peace talks responded that in Nagaland NCC is just starting out but it is ready to play a bigger role biblically if given an opportunity.
The interaction was also attended by NCC Nagaland General Secretary Rev. Vangpong Phom and NCC Nagaland Intellectual Wing President Dr. BP Philip.
(Page News Service)
