Kohima, Dec. 17: Major political parties in Nagaland have accepted the Church?s proposal ruling out house-to-house campaigning during the coming polls. However, they have little hope that such a directive would be implemented.
The Nagaland Christian Forum (NCF) today addressed an all-party meeting here to deliberate on several points discussed at a similar conference on November 28. However, the ruling Congress was absent at the earlier meet. Today?s meeting was attended by the Congress, the Nagaland People?s Front, the Nationalist Congress Party and the BJP.
According to the two major resolutions adopted today, a common platform of political parties will be floated in each administrative centre and no house-to-house campaign will be allowed. For instance, Kohima will have the Congress and the NPF canvassing from a single platform. ?The decision has been taken,? said NPF adviser Shurhozelie.
The parties also decided to disallow villages from pledging support to particular parties. This is not the first time that the Church has stepped in during elections. ?Similar suggestions were made in 1987,? said NCF president Rev. Zhabu Terhuja.
This time, however, the forum has been given the additional responsibility of appointing village pastors as observers to check whether the rules laid down and agreed upon by the political parties today are actually observed. The NCF president said it would be decided at the annual meeting of all churches in January. Most political leaders, however, expressed their reservations. ?This is going to be the worst election with bloodshed, but let?s hope for the best,? said NCP president Y. Sulanthung H. Lotha.
In fact, the Church leaders themselves are apprehensive but as Terhiya said, ?We have to tell what is wrong and what is right.? The Church has been canvassing for ?morally sound? candidates and stopping house-to-house canvassing by candidates who often buy votes.
As Lotha disclosed at the meeting, pamphlets with house numbers and demands of particular sections of the people are being circulated. The NCP had initially expressed its reservations on the issue before giving its nod. Congress working president Hokheto said he hoped all the rules would be followed. ?Ten per cent of this will succeed,? a party president said.
In the 1997 general elections in 1997, the Church, along with the Naga Hoho, had asked all the political parties to boycott elections.