In view of two recent disturbing developments that will be detrimental to the future of the Nagas, the Ex-Parliamentarians Association of Nagaland (Ex-PAN) in its Executive Council meeting on 9th March 2024 hereby adopts the following resolutions:
The Assam Healing (Prevention of Evil] Practices Bill, 2024:
India was founded on the very principles of a sovereign, socialist, secular and democratic republic as firmly established in the Preamble of the Constitution of India which is the foundation on which the Union Government and the Governments of the constituent States and Union Territories function in accordance to the provisions set in the Constitution. Whereas, the four Articles from 25 to 28 in the Constitution of India provide for the religious rights to every citizen equally, irrespective of minority or majority and till date none of the mentioned articles have ever been amended or deleted from the Constitution, but have remained vibrant since its adoption.
The Christians believe in the Living God and worship Him alone because He is the Creator, Sustainer and Deliverer. The miracles of the Living God are the basic evidence of His truth, His omnipotence and His omnipresence. The victories of His believers in battles, the raising of a dead man to life and the miraculous healing of sick people by the power of God the Spirit through the centuries, to name a few, are all inalienable essence of the Living God. There have been overwhelming examples across the world of miraculous healings of the sick that science fails to explain. To Christians, such miracles are not new as these are the proof of what is written in the Holy Bible and the miraculous healings will continue to accompany Christianity as long as it exists.
The provisions under the Constitution protecting the freedom of religion have remained unchanged and intact till date. However, there have been instances of violations in undermining these provisions by the enactment of laws in State Assemblies through discriminative actions which are directly in contravention of the very foundation on which this great nation was established, the Constitution of India, thus making them illegal and unconstitutional.
One such instance is the recent enactment of a law called “The Assam Healing (Prevention of Evil) Practices Bill, 2024” which was passed in the Assam Legislative Assembly on the 26′ of February, 2024 targeting Christian activities in particular. if miracle healings are considered an “evil practice” because it does not conform to medical science, then even Ayurvedic and Yogic treatments must also fall in the same category as they too are not related to medical science. Therefore, if the Government of Assam headed by the BJP is determined to challenge and curb the activities of religious minorities, it must and should be done within the parameters of the Constitution of India, if any. However, so long as the laws and Articles protecting the freedom of religion exists, the Government of Assam or any other Government do not have the authority or power to enact any law in contravention to the laid down provisions of the Constitution of India.
It is further to be questioned that when the provisions of the Constitution protecting the freedom of religion have remained intact and alive, why is it so that the Government of India, the upholders and protectors of the Constitution continue to remain silent and evasive at the violation of the constitutional provisions by the various State Governments including the recent passing of the unconstitutional law by the Government of Assam? Nevertheless, no such detrimental and anti-constitutional law by the State of Assam can deter Christian activities.
Therefore, the Ex-Parliamentarians Association of Nagaland resolves to vehemently condemn this particular law enacted by the Assam Legislative Assembly and calls upon the Government of India to put an end to such legislations targeted towards religious discrimination.
Free Movement Regime (FMR):
The sensitivity of the country to its internal and external security is imperative and foremost priority. However, the announcement of the union Home Minister and the decision of the Government of India (Gol) to put an end to the FMR which allows citizens of both India and Myanmar to freely access areas within 16 kilometers of the border on both sides is highly objectionable and questionable.
Since time immemorial the Naga people had never been divided by any “borders or boundaries” except the traditional boundaries between villages till the advent of the British who, for the convenience of administration, had demarcated the existing border between India and Myanmar, thus dividing villages, families and tribes. However, the founding fathers and leaders of India and Myanmar, having the foresight of the importance for the people living on both sides of the borders to continue to have access to one another, decided to enact the FMR, allowing people from both sides access to 16 kilometers on both sides of the border without the need of any documents.
Today, taking the ongoing ethnic upheaval in Manipur between the Kuki-Zo and the Meitei communities and the vast smuggling of illegal drugs and weapons as reasons to construct border fencing and put an end to the FMR, the Government of India is trying to do to the Nagas what the Berlin Wall did to the people of Germany after World War II. This decision of the Gol can be taken as a gross violation of human rights as it will be dividing the people who share not only a common custom and tradition, but also a common lineage that dates back centuries and generations. The porous borders with neighboring Bangladesh and Pakistan are a glaring example that fencing off of the borders is not the solution to stop infiltration of humans and smuggling of illegal goods. By fencing off the border with Myanmar and scrapping the FMR, the Gol will only be further antagonizing a people who already feel betrayed and robbed of their birthrights.
Apart from the human aspect, the construction of border fences will also have a grave impact on the rich bio-diversity of the North-East Region (NER) as this will greatly affect the natural corridors for the trans-migration of animals who contribute towards maintaining the checks and balances on the bio-diversity in the region. Today, when the World is taking the issues of global climate change and the fast-increasing dangers thereof with extreme caution and seriousness, the depletion of the bio-diversity in the NER will be another major factor that will affect maintaining the checks and balances of the effects of climate change. Therefore, considering these issues along with many more, the Gol must have a very serious rethink on their decision to discontinue the FMR and to construct border fences.
Therefore, in unison with the sentiments and desires of the people, the Ex-PAN resolves to oppose this decision of the Gol to discontinue the FMR and construct border fences.
Ex-Parliamentarians Association of Nagaland
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