A Nagaland BJP minister on Friday paid glowing tributes to the early Christian missionaries, acknowledging their selfless service in bringing education to the Naga Hills when “few dared to venture into the region”.
In his address at the exhibition on “Development of Education in North Eastern India” held in Kohima, minister of higher education and tourism, Temjen Imna Along, described the event as a historic moment for Nagaland.
Along, a former state BJP president said the progress of education in the region has been immense and commendable.
The National Archives of India, in collaboration with the state’s higher education department had organised the exhibition.
Paying tributes to the early Christian missionaries and acknowledging their selfless service in bringing education to the Naga Hills when few “dared” to venture into the region, Along said it was because of their service that the Nagas received education. He added that today, “Nagaland is the second most literate state in the country”.
Nagaland, a Christian-majority state, has an NDPP-led government with BJP as a constituent.
Along said Nagaland “was a diverse state, and our forefathers lived with discipline and wisdom. This needs to be documented”.
Along’s praise for Christian missionaries comes at a time when the community is being targeted for their alleged role in religious conversion through inducement or fraud by a few Right-wing groups.
Even the Northeast has seen several incidents since 2022 targeting the missionaries. Last year, some Guwahati-based organisations directed missionary schools or Christian community members to remove religious symbols/statues of Jesus, Mary, the Cross and churches from school campuses within 15 days.
Groups in Assam and Tripura also wanted these minority educational institutes to observe Saraswati Puja.