Tackling collection racket

 While much has been heard about illegal, unauthorized or forcible taxation during the decades, nothing has been seen about the state government doing its part in putting an end to these activities which have spread like the coronavirus, destroying the economy and business or investment confidence. The inability of the government is clearly an evidence of its willful lack of political will to protect its citizens against those who commit daylight robbery at will. In response to the demand of the Confederation of Nagaland Chamber of Commerce and Industry(CNCCI) to prevent rampant and multiple collections in the state, the state government has promised to deploy more policemen. The problem is that if this is a strategy, then it will require a few police battalions to patrol entire Dimapur district while it is certain this won’t be of any use against illegal collections. Traders and firms have been crying hoarse against open collections at check gates by several police groups, half a dozen stat government agencies, around a dozen Naga political groups, the DMC and scores of so-called voluntary organizations. While not suggesting that the state government probably had in mind the old idiom ‘send a thief to catch a thief’ to tackle rampant collections by proposing to deploy more uniformed personnel; it’s still going to be a futile exercise since no authority, be it in the district or state-level are willing to take on the powerful dons involved. Even without being told, police know and very well, if not too well, that extortion had led to protest closures of shops on several occasions also after businessmen were abducted and sometimes murdered. People’s anger against rampant extortions that come with threats of dire consequences, is worsened by the sorry state of affairs and tolerance to crimes in Nagaland. Unfortunately, there is an evolving phenomenon that has witnessed in Dimapur and which can be called as a white collar crime enterprise-syndicates. Syndicates are controlled by the people who graduated from collections and lifting it to another level. Unlike collections, whether at check gates or godowns or shops; syndicates control the sale and distribution network in the market in a legal way. According to various sources such as ACAUT etc, the entire Dimapur market has been streamlined into syndication. There are syndicates controlling hardware business, public transportation, carriers, motor parts, electrical items, construction items such as cement, marble slabs, fish, meat, poultry, forest export etc. The market syndicates protect the interests of member-traders. The system ensures that traders approved by the syndicate can do business-buying and selling items. Any firm who does not pay the ‘fee’ or tax to the syndicate(s)are not allowed to do business. In other states like Delhi and even Assam, special cells comprising of highly efficient, reputed and highly motivated anti-crime officers and men have been formed. Since extortion is a very sensitive and potentially risky business, these cells are insulated from any external interference. Tackling crime demands a more focused and intensive research on the scenario so as to come up with better and efficient methods to prevent crimes instead of resorting to a symbolic fire fighting exercise. A result-oriented strategy and reward system for performance should reverse the trend of passive resistance and pandering to interferences.