Cosmetic development

 Recent incidents of crime in Nagaland’s commercial capital serve as reminder that the law enforcement agencies face a severe test in maintaining a firm grip and the reasons are many. Dimapur is a cosmopolitan city where people from all tribes of Nagaland and various communities of India are found. Dimapur municipal along with sub-urban areas has a population of around 2.5 lakh. Dimapur is not only the commercial capital of Nagaland but also the gateway that is accessible from other parts of India by road, rail and air. Therefore, it is important that Dimapur grows economically as its population continues to grow. Dimapur enjoyed a golden era of rapid economic development from the 70s to 80s and was on its rise as the fastest growing city in the north east. Since the 90s, Dimapur was gradually losing the momentum of progress and today, its commercial growth is being stunted by lawless acts. This has led gradual deterioration of the environment affecting trade and commerce in the state’s premier city. In the case with Dimapur in particular, the authority of the law has been compromised due to the free run enjoyed by offenders patronised by influential and powerful sections. The rise of a sub-culture of lawlessness in the form of mushrooming of “unauthorised/illegal” tax collectors is also a syndrome that has restricted the economic growth of the city. Other factors that also play a role in promoting this sub-culture include economic disparity or inequalities in resources, opportunities etc which have created a sense of frustration and alienation. Prices of every commodity has been on steady rise as a consequence and this is bad for business, economy and the people. As commented earlier, the flight of business from Dimapur is reducing the city into a sub-outlet of nearby towns of Assam. The passive resistance of people is because the writ of the legally constituted government has been eroding over the decades primarily due to a populist-driven concept of governance and the growing presence of parallel authorities thriving on the fear of unarmed and unorganised people. However, this is not to mean that the various law enforcement agencies are not doing a good job. Police are often handicapped by political interferences, treading on “grey areas” of parallel authorities and often find themselves caught between the devil and the deep blue sea. There is need to change the environment with a long term objective. Criminologists consider prevention in two senses. The first involves the ability of criminal law enforcement to make citizens law-abiding by deterring potential offenders and preventing further lawbreaking by apprehending criminals. The second refers to the efforts to correct fundamental social conditions and personal maladjustments which are assumed to be the “seed bed” of crime. Looking at the problem from a wider perspective, criminalisation of society has unfortunately destroyed peace and progress. Lawlessness has become the face of Dimapur and most tragically, its character. On the part of the government, it does not matter which party is in power. If policing is reduced to mere tokenism, then it has the potential of resulting in a worse case scenario. The problem needs to be understood from legal, institutional, moral, cultural and religious aspects. Fighting crimes is not a one-time effort nor can it be measured by success in cracking some cases; it is a continuous process involving all.