I had no intention to write on this pertaining situation. However, over some pass weeks we all have been witnessing in the social media and through different sources about the push and pull magnitude for our stranded fellow Nagas living outside Nagalnd, whether to let them come back to Nagaland in time like this? and finally when the government, NGOs and also individual personalities of the other states has taken all the trouble, inconvenience and initiatives to arrange the travel back home for our people, I believe that Nagas out there outside Nagaland would have felt HAVEN at the very fact that they are finally going back home.
However with that excitement and the feeling of joy just to reach home and moreover no time to prepare for the unusual journey, they were less prepared. The journey back home would be so challenging had never in the wildest dreams did they imagine, no drinking water, no pantry facility, no enough food (Rice), no shops in the railway stations open, the sojourner would remember this journey for the rest of their life.
But here in own homes their own people of same blood remain so insensitive to all this pain and struggle that they took just to come back home, knowing the fact that our state is not prepared to tackle with the corona pandemic, yet in their heart wish that it’s better to die in our own land to die outside, to the fact some even could not make it to the cruel exodus to Nagaland and gave up on their life in the journey, sources states that poor lady was not keeping well because of liver issues, and her doctor stopped her from under taking the journey, yet nothing stopped her from taking the journey, why? Because her home is where her heart was and was ready to breathe her last just to be home. Yet at Home we await for them with our troll, suspicious, rejection, and treatment like given to a group of zombies, and colonies barricade and sending clear message not to allow quarantine centre in locality though assurance are made to take all the safety measures.
My people, my heart cries and breaks at the very realities of our insensitivity and our attitude rendered towards our own brothers and sisters at their home coming. My heart goes numb realising that we all called ourselves as follower of Christ. Where is the so called loved, the love of Christ? Teaching of Christ and His love had not even penetrated our skin even though many of us are very enthusiastic worshipers and Church goers.
I fear that waiting for the coming Christ our whole life, we might fail to receive Him if HE comes today in the person of COVID infected person. Because we lust for power, glory, blessing, wealth, well being, position etc.
which we cannot imagine, how a COVID infected Christ can give that to us, we only imagine Christ coming as King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, but what if He comes to us amongst the returning Naga sojourner? Would you still troll, and reject? No because all we want are blessings.
We very often criticize Humanism, rationality in comparison to our faith and religious belief. However in this case the ethical realm of our religion had shrink down to such a narrow dot where we cannot even accommodate our own brothers and sisters, who had to pay so much just to be back home.
“Humanity is a virtue associated with basic ethics of altruism derived from the human condition. It also symbolises human love and compassion towards each other. Humanity differs from mere
justice in that there is a level of altruism towards individuals included in humanity more so than the fairness found in justice. That is, humanity, and the acts of love, altruism, and social intelligence are typically individual strengths while fairness is generally expanded to all. Humanity can be classed as one of six virtues that are consistent across all cultures.”
This is what Humanism has to say about loving fellow humans, however religion goes steps ahead when it comes to loving each other, and specially Christianity teaches “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs” (1 Corinthians 13:4-5), “And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them” (1 John 4:16), “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you” (John 15:12), “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (John 15:13).
But the sad reality is that we as follower of Christ only tries to follow Him in the metaphorical realm of faith, and when the time comes for the real praxis of the Love of Christ we take back refocusing on how insecure we are, however who ever tries to safe oneself will lose it and whoever lose it will gain it, Christian faith is about business of loss, and anyone who follow this principle of Christ of losing self for this cost will gain.
Fellow Naga Brothers and Sisters let us take the courage in the Love of Christ and embrace our returning brothers and sisters seeking for our help and love, Christ often spoke the word “with the fullness of time” I believe it is such a time like this that this words from our lord make sense to the fullest of its potential, because the Love of Christ cannot be stopped to be displayed by His faithful follower in such a time like this, though it might cost our life. Let us all join our hands as we embrace our brothers and sister coming back home, and let us all fight against our ignorance and selfish attitude, as our Lord God Jesus Christ rule over our life.
Bendangsashi Walling