Commerce and crime

Dimapur Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) had recently, issued a very strong statement that despite all the outrage and complaints etc against rampant and unabated illegal taxation in Dimapur in particular, neither the state government nor the district authorities have done anything substantial. This is a very serious matter which, if wholly true, is tantamount to abdication of responsibility for governance. The composition of Dimapur is largely cosmopolitan with various community organisations having their apex bodies. The population of Dimapur district is 4,14,921 of which 1,22,834 are in Dimapur City(Urban) alone and around twenty to thirty thousand floating population mostly labourers and traders from nearby Karbi Anglong etc. Today, the environment at Dimapur is not only about rampant illegal and unabated tax collections by 150 NGOs and voluntary organisations and nearly 50 unions operating in Dimapur but also more than 20 political groups whose activities as ‘parallel authorities’ have caused serious social tensions and law and order problem. The curse of illegal, rampant and multiple taxation has damaged the business environment and put many enterprises out of business. Price of almost every item in the market in Dimapur has become more costlier than nearby Lahorijan which is hardly 1.5 kms. The state government has largely ignored Dimapur even in terms of development despite still being the commercial hub of Nagaland. It may be recalled that the state government had issued notifications twice –on June 22,2009 and reaffirmed on June 12,2012-banning collections in any form at check gates and highways. The Gauhati High Court Kohima Bench had in a landmark judgment on June 3,2014 had banned on collections in any form by CSOs.

In 2012 ACAUT Nagaland had organised a rally calling on the government to implement the ban orders by the state government besides a massive rally was organised in 2013 against all forms of collection. Even the report of the three-member High Power Committee (HPC) set up by the government in 2014 to look into illegal collections submitted its report in 2015 but it has been kept under wraps. Almost all leaders and people in power and positions have residences and properties in Dimapur but somehow, development of Dimapur escapes attention of their minds. Even past elected members from Dimapur have ignored the need to put Dimapur back on the tracks of development. If things don’t improve within the next few years, it will only accelerate the obliteration of all the idealistic dreams of Dimapur being among the developing towns of the north east. Unless the government is clear about its responsibility in promoting not only business but rule of law, it will be culpable of lending a hand in creating a chaotic environment that is detrimental to the future. The multi task of prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of crime rests with the DEF, but the over focus on armed battalions have affected the outlook of the force. If the state politicians are as serious and as sincere as they sound when they speak about tackling crimes, then they must relinquish their direct or indirect hold or interference over the police department and the district administration and ensure that only the best officer is given charge of crucial posts dealing with law and order and administrative governance.