Oting firing: Nagaland readies for Christmas with heavy heart

GUWAHATI: On the eve of Christmas, grieving Oting in Mon district in Nagaland, where black flags are still fluttering in the cold as this was the epicentre of a gruesome firing incident earlier this month, which had left the nation shocked, has allowed tradition and festivities to prevail over sorrow. With a heavy heart, people are ready to wipe off their tears and usher in the Yuletide spirit.
Even as the district administration has said it has completed disbursing Rs 16 lakh compensation to each of the families of those killed in the firing to sooth wounded hearts of tribal villagers, Christians are ready to celebrate Chirstmas by offering prayers to those killed in the firing in Baptist churches across villages. But despite the resentment against the Centre which is being blamed for ‘giving the scope to the killing of the civilians’ due to the enforcement of AFSPA in Nagaland for decades, the believers in Oting will pray for the well-being of the Indian President and Prime Minister, asserting their feeling of Indianness.
Extremist groups in Nagaland raised the demand for cessation from India in the past, but on the eve of Christmas, the village Baptist Church decided to make the bond with India stronger. "People of Oting want justice. We are not foreigners but from mainland India. Though we live in the remotest corner of the country, peace is equally important for us. Whoever is at the top of the Indian justice delivery system, should give justice to fellow countrymen," Noykem Konyak, the pastor of the Oting Village Baptist Church, told TOI on Thursday.
Though celebrations will never be the same, he said tradition has to be maintained at any cost. Christmas Day will begin at the church with a silent prayer, which will simultaneously be held in 100 odd villages where the dominant Baptist churches are located. In the Oting church, drama and cultural programmes are usually held throughout the day every Christmas. It was a way to involve every youth of the village with socio-religious activities. This time the 1,500 odd villagers, including those working people who return home during Christmas, are ready to celebrate.
"We start preparing for Christmas five months before and programmes are scheduled accordingly. We have called off cultural programmes and only preaching will be held on how to live in peace and forgive. But we will not miss the prayer for the President, PM and the people of India," said Konyak.
"When bereaved families are still crying, it will not be fair to go for joyous celebrations with cultural extravaganzas. Instead, we will visit the homes of those killed and injured to console them," he added.
Chemyuh Konyak, executive secretary, Konyak Baptist Churches Association in Mon, said Christmas has to be celebrated even on a sad note. He said Church leaders have been informed to hold a one-minute silent prayer before the Christmas service begins. "The mood and emotions are quite different in Mon this time. The Oting firing has left our hearts bleeding," he said.
In other parts of Nagaland, the Oting episode may not dampen the spirit. Akheto Sema, general secretary of the Council of Baptist Churches in North East India (CBCNEI), said, "In Mon we have to understand the pain and sorrow of the people. But Christmas will always be celebrated. This year we will also celebrate,” said Sema.