The Clean Election Movement Nagaland (CEMN) under the initiative of Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) conducted a one-day sensitization campaign on Clean Election today at St Joseph College, Jakhama.

CEMN convenor Dr Villo Naleo said one of the reasons for organising the sensitization programme is because women and students have been found to be the highest in proxy voting as per the 2018 Youth Net research data base and the CEMN felt it important to sensitise the student community.

Dr Villo Naleo, CEMN convenor, speaking at the sensitization programme.

Dr Naleo also said the programme involves the concerned citizens of Nagaland and this movement has been initiated with the idea that it is the social responsibility of the Church to talk about clean election and also to participate in the transformation of the society.

He said, “If we want to see change, transformation in our lifetime it is already too late but it is also never too late. That is why it important for us to be participating in this movement because it’s all about bringing change in the right way.”

The NBCC initiated the Clean Election campaign in 2012 and while the campaign has manifested, it has not done so in its full sense. The NBCC continues to strive to have free and fair elections where money and muscle power come to an end and every citizen practises the idea of clean elections.

Kevitho Kera.

The resource persons of the programme were Dr Villo Naleo, Kevitho Kera, Gugu Haralu and Sarah Konyak.

During the sensitization programme, topics such as what is clean election, role of church and the future, money and election, youth, violence and election, role of women in clean election, proxy voting and its impact and media and clean election, multiple enrolment and its ramifications were delivered by the resource persons.

Gugu Haralu (top) and Sarah Konyak (bottom).

The programme concluded with an interactive session with the college students and teaching faculty.