Kohima: The Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) is pushing for transparency as the Election Commission of India launches its Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Dr. Villo Naleo, Secretary of Social Concern, issued a statement on August 26 demanding protection for eligible voters. The council wants an audit that avoids wrongful deletions.
Nagaland features complex village-based structures and traditional landholding records. These systems often clash with rigid bureaucratic documentation. The NBCC warned that a strictly technical approach might disenfranchise genuine indigenous voters. Many citizens work or study away from their native villages in urban hubs like Kohima and Dimapur. This creates confusion regarding ordinary residence. Errors here could strip voters of their constitutional rights.
The council emphasized that officials must balance speed with precision. Pressure on field staff risks enumeration errors. "A democracy is not strengthened when questionable names remain on the roll; neither is it strengthened when genuine citizens lose their names from it," the NBCC stated.
The church council issued four specific appeals. First, the administration must guard against administrative mistakes, voter suppression, and fraud. Second, Booth Level Officers and village authorities must prioritize honesty in every constituency. Third, Christian families must remove the names of deceased relatives. The group invoked Proverbs 16:8, urging citizens to choose righteousness over political gain. Finally, the NBCC called for voter vigilance against intimidation. The council warned that the intensive revision process must not devolve into intensive exclusion.
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