APO: Drawing attention to the proposed yatra, the Angami Public Organisation (APO) stated that any campaign to ban the slaughter of cow in the Naga inhabited area is bound to face fierce resentment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a letter to the chief minister, APO president Thejao Vihienuo and general secretary Keneilesa Neikha stated that no Naga festival was celebrated without the slaughter of the cow as beef was a delicacy to the Nagas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Stating that Nagas do not impose on others what to eat and what not to eat, APO therefore said that Nagas were against any authority or group imposing their eating habits on them. \u201cIn our culture it is a taboo to address any animal as our mother or father,\u201d APO said reaffirmed that it was totally against anyone dictating Nagas on how to address their cows and dogs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
APO pointed out that the Hindus in Nagaland were peacefully coexisting with the Nagas for all these years. Therefore, APO said any incitement as the proposed \u201cyatra\u201d has envisaged would only go the disturb the hitherto cordial relation amongst the communities in Nagaland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Therefore, in the interest of peace and social harmony in the State, APO urged the state government not to allow the \u2018Yatra\u2019 to enter Nagaland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
ABAM: <\/strong>Ao Baptist Arogo Mungdang (ABAM) through its president Rev. Dr. L. Lima Jamir and executive secretary Rev. Dr. Prof., Mar Pongener expressed dismay over the initiative of the \u201cGau Pratishtha Andolan\u201d, saying it was yet another attempt by \u201cdesperate Hindu religious fanatics\u201d to indoctrinate veneration of Cow as part of Hindu Sanadana Dharma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n ABAM said it condemned the interdiction of the cow meat by the Gau Pratishtha Andolan, saying it was their intended steps to \u201cenforce total vegetarianism or Brahminization or Hinduisation of the entire nation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The church said that such strong, aggressive and offensive understanding of religion can function in isolation \u201cas their spiritual vision fails to grasp the commonality of life beyond all human-made differences.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Maintaining that all the \u201ccounterfeit disciplines\u201d of the world have been founded out of a desire for Holiness, ABAM said their attempts to set themselves apart and to be blameless before God were futile. ABAM has urged the Christians not to be deceived by any of the world\u2019s self-claimed holiness like Shankaracharya or any other individual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n BJP state unit: Drawing attention to the upcoming \u201cGau Dhwaj Sthapna Bharat Yatra,\u201d the BJP Nagaland State unit has clarified that the Hindu organisation behind the proposed Yatra had nothing to do with the BJP Nagaland state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a press release, BJP state unit president Benjamin Yepthomi stated that Nagaland enjoys special protection concerning its religious and social practices as enshrined in Article 371A of the Indian Constitution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n BJP state unit pointed out that Art 371A was instituted to preserve the distinctive traditions of the Naga people including their long-standing customs and beliefs. It stated that any attempt to impose regulations that contradicted those practices, especially in matters of food, was a direct infringement on the rights guaranteed to the people of Nagaland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Further, the party stated that Nagaland\u2019s population was predominantly Christian, and their faith played a significant role in shaping their way of life. However, it said the proposed cow slaughter ban not only challenged Naga cultural and social practices but also goes against Nagas religious beliefs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It reminded that for many in Nagaland beef was a favored and integral part of cuisine and had been part of their cultural practices and traditional festivals since time immemorial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n BJP state unit stated that to impose restrictions on its consumption would deeply affect the cultural identity and daily lives of Naga people besides grievously hurting their sentiments. It said that such impositions risked creating divisions and could undermine the social harmony.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The party also stated that India, as a secular country, upholds the principle of freedom of religion and the right to practice and follow one\u2019s customs without interference. \u201cJust as we respect the beliefs of others, we too expect the same level of respect and understanding for our own traditions and way of life,\u201d it stated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n BJP state unit said the intent behind the movement may be seen as noble by some, but it was crucial to recognise that Nagaland\u2019s social and communal harmony could be disrupted by initiatives that were not aligned with the values and practices of Naga people. Meanwhile, the party maintained that its opposition to the programme was not an attack on any particular faith or belief system, but a call for mutual respect and understanding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n BJP state unit also requested the state government to uphold the provisions of Article 371A and protect the rights and traditions of the Naga people. It appealed to all concerned parties to ensure that no actions were taken which could harm the longstanding peace and unity within the society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n NPF:<\/strong> Expressing shock over the proposed Yatra, the Naga People\u2019s Front (NPF) through its press bureau said that as a political party its ideology was deeply entrenched in true secularism, which does not impose stricture upon any citizen in the affairs of their belief, faith, religion and food habits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Stating that it respected all the religions for free practice and worship in their own way, the NPF, however, said that Nagaland was a Christian majority state, and Nagas by tradition treat cow as one of the domesticated animals like Mithun (Bos frontalis), Buffalo, Pigs, dogs, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even before converting into Christianity, NPF said none of the Nagas were Hindus as claimed by a few Hindu fanatics, who it alleged were \u201cdesperately\u201d trying to label all other faiths as former Hindus under the codename San\u0101tan\u012b.<\/p>\n\n\n\n NPF said Nagas were not that naive and would never succumb to such pressure tactics of some few Hindu fanatics. It claimed that the proposed Yatra was a pre-meditated tactic to disturb the peaceful coexistence amongst the various religions in India.<\/p>\n\n\n\n NPF said time has come for the citizens of Nagaland to \u201cseriously ponder upon this credulous belief\u201d of these Gaubhakt fanatics and go against such uncivilized activities interfering on other people of different faith.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The party asserted that any attempt by any individual or a group of people to declare cow as the \u201cMother of the nation\u201d would tantamount to challenging the very essence of India whose citizens live in harmony because of its tolerance on all religions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n BJP Mokokchung: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Mokokchung district unit through its president S. Bendang Aier has strongly supported its state unit president Benjamin Yepthomi\u2019s clarification that the \u201cGau Dhwaj Sthapna Bharat Yatra\u201d, which promotes a nationwide ban on cow slaughter, was not connected to the BJP Nagaland state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n WSYF: <\/strong>Western Sumi Youth Front (WSYF) has registered strong objection to the proposed \u2018Gau Dhwaj Yatra\u2019 and affirmed that it would not allow any alien on Naga land to assert their principles and educate Nagas of their beliefs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGau Mahasabha\u201d, which is scheduled to be held in Kohima on September 28, 2024, as part of the proposed \u201cGau Dhwaj Sthapana Bharat Yatra\u201d organised by a Hindu organisation aimed at banning cow slaughter, has drawn stiff opposition from several quarters including the church, political parties and civil society organisations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":409111,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[679],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-443908","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nagaland-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nagalandpost.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/443908","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nagalandpost.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nagalandpost.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nagalandpost.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nagalandpost.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=443908"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/nagalandpost.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/443908\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nagalandpost.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/409111"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nagalandpost.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=443908"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nagalandpost.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=443908"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nagalandpost.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=443908"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
The party, therefore, urged the organisers of the Yatra to reconsider holding such a programme in Nagaland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
BJP Mokokchung unit stressed the importance of respecting and upholding the unique socio-religious and cultural fabric of Nagaland as guaranteed under Article 371A of the Indian Constitution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It stated that Nagaland\u2019s diversity, shaped by its traditions and beliefs, should be celebrated, not curtailed. BJP Mokokchung district urged the organisers of the Yatra to reconsider their plans in Nagaland in order to respect the sentiments of the local communities and avoid creating unnecessary tensions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In solidarity with BJP Nagaland state, the party\u2019s Mokokchung unit reaffirmed the commitment to promoting harmony and understanding among all communities, while preserving the rich cultural heritage of Nagaland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
WSYF through its media cell stated that Indian boasts of being the largest democracy in the world with diversity in traditions, religion, and culture coexisting and respecting each other\u2019s sacredness and heritage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As such, the youth body said that only an imbecile in the guise of humanitarian morality would seek to \u201cintimidate and barge into another man\u2019s society\u201d and hurt their ancestral heritage and sentiments. It stated that \u201cno man can nor should dictate or direct another man\u2019s nature and lifestyle.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While honouring Nagas\u2019 inherent nature of humility and humanity, WSYF welcomed each and every visitor, domestic and foreign, to traverse smoothly across the state and find peace in the serene hills of the Nagas.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"