Nagaland Baptist body urges Christians to exercise voting rights

The Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) is calling on Christians to use their right to vote to bring a clean government in the state.

On Monday, the Protestant body launched the 'Clean Election Campaign' in Kohima, in an effort to bring a stable and responsive government in the 2013 state assembly election.

While stressing on exercising the voting rights, NBCC president Rev Keviyiekielie Linyu said the power "to uproot and pull down...to build and plant" is a precious a gift of God to humans.

Calling it a God-given right to elect a government, Rev Linyu urged the faithful to apply the right prayerfully and humbly.

Linyu further stressed that there was a need to build awareness on the right vote, from schools to churches.

In this regard, the released a booklet titled "Engaging the powers: Elections- A spiritual issue for Christians". NBCC general secretary Rev Dr L Anjo Keikung said the booklet is to educate young people, women and church leaders on their electoral rights.

While noting that the election Code of Conduct laid down by the Government itself was good enough, the Baptist leader rued that parties failed to ensure adherence to the model.

The NBCC was formed about 75 years ago in 1937 to unite churches across the state. In April this year, NBCC celebrated the 140th anniversary of the introduction of Christianity in Nagaland with a four-day long function .

An apex body of Baptist churches, the Nagaland Baptist Church Council currently represents close to 1,500 churches.

Christians constitute 90.02% of the population in Nagaland, with 80% professing the Baptist faith.