Shopkeepers in Nagaland start closing indefinitely due to extortion
Female street vendor in Chümoukedima in Nagaland (Photo: Sanskrita Bharadwaj | IndiaSpend
Markets were closed and private offices closed after an indefinite shutdown of business establishments began in Nagaland on Saturday in protest against extortion by underground groups.
The lockdown was first observed in the state’s commercial capital Dimapur on Friday, following which the other districts joined a call by the Confederation of Nagaland Chamber of Commerce & Industries (CNCCI).
The CNCI said that harassment of the business community due to extortion cannot be tolerated any further.
It urged the government to take immediate steps to put an end to the “unabated” extortions, intimidations and calls by the underground groups.
The CNCI said banks, educational institutions, government buildings and hospitals have been excluded from the scope of the closure.
Home Affairs Commissioner Vikeyie Kenya said the government “has come to the notice” that the “rampant tax collection” from businesses, especially in Dimapur, by various groups, most of which have signed ceasefire agreements with the government, is a unbearable situation.
“Such activities have a negative impact on the law enforcement agencies and the state government,” he said, directing the police to take strict action.
He instructed district administrations and police to report any violation of the basic ceasefire rules to the Ceasefire Monitoring Group so that appropriate action can be taken.
Police should continue arresting ‘underground executives’ caught for extortion under the National Security Act (NSA), Kenya has said.
The Dimapur police commissioner was asked to intensify patrolling in market areas and also deploy IRBn personnel to instill confidence among the people, he said.
The government also directed that the police commissioner form a special cell to deal exclusively with extortion cases, he added.
The Dimapur Chamber of Commerce and Industries (DCCI) said such directions have also been issued by the state government in the past.
“However, given the government’s continued insincerity, this does not appear to be sustainable,” the report said.
The shutdown will continue as long as the government does not take satisfactory steps, it added.
(Only the headline and image of this report may have been reworked by Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is automatically generated from a syndicated feed.)
First print: April 27, 2024 | 2:06 PM IST