Commercial activity in a market lane in Dimapur. Recent directives regarding Sunday shop closures and business regulations have sparked calls from local bodies, including the NPCC Minority Department, NCD, and EDTC, for legal clarity, protection of livelihoods, and uninterrupted essential services. (Morung File Photo)
DIMAPUR, OCTOBER 26 (MExN): The Naga Council Dimapur (NCD) has objected to four resolutions issued by the NSCN/FRGN, stating that the directives “infringe upon individual freedom, threaten lawful businesses and undermine peaceful coexistence” among different communities.
A press release from the NCD said it has taken “serious note” of the resolutions and particularly condemned the directive ordering non-local business establishments to shut down their lawful operations in different jurisdictions and phases. “Such a diktat strikes at the fundamental rights of bona fide Indian citizens and violates the basic principles of coexistence, equality and mutual respect,” the NCD stated.
It further cautioned that the directive “risks provoking racial discrimination against thousands of Naga students and employed youths living across the country.” On Sunday observance, the NCD said repeated diktats had been issued in the past in the name of respecting Christian sentiments. However, it maintained that “religious observance cannot be imposed through coercion” and “must remain a matter of personal choice and conviction.”
The council noted that many business establishments had voluntarily closed during church service hours, demonstrating that “faith and mutual respect are best upheld through understanding rather than force.”
On the Nagaland Liquor Total Prohibition Act, 1989, the NCD said it had been spearheading efforts to review the implementation of the Act in Dimapur district. Following research and case studies, the public and civil society organisations had been apprised of the findings through consultative meetings, it stated. “The contradictions in the positions adopted by the Church and the department responsible for implementation remain evident and demand honest public scrutiny,” the NCD added.
Regarding the drug menace, the council maintained that the police were already pursuing a zero-tolerance approach against drug peddlers, while village councils and respective colonies remained vigilant. “Combating drugs is a collective responsibility of every law-abiding citizen,” it stated, adding that renewed advocacy must translate into “effective action rather than mere directives.”
The NCD also questioned whether targeting non-local traders could address the stagnation of local businesses. It instead pointed to the proliferation of “37 Naga Political Groups (NPGs), and counting,” as a serious concern, citing allegations of interference in production, transportation, market syndicates and monopolistic practices.
According to the NCD, such practices constrain local enterprise and economic growth, compelling many Naga youths to seek employment outside the state to earn a livelihood and support their families back home. Citing Mizoram as an example, the NCD said local entrepreneurship could flourish through decades of mutual support and business cooperation “rather than exclusion or intimidation.”
“In an increasingly interconnected global economy, no individual, state or country can function in isolation,” it stated. “Economic progress depends on cooperation, fair competition and mutual respect, not coercion and exclusion.” The council urged law-enforcement agencies to take immediate cognizance of the NSCN/FRGN press release and initiate preventive measures to ensure that no individual or business establishment was “threatened, harassed or forced to cease lawful operations.”
The NCD said, “Since its inception, NCD has remained committed to peace, harmony and the welfare of the people of Nagaland and beyond.” It also called on civil society organisations, the Church and Naga political groups to focus on their respective responsibilities.
“As much as the CSOs should become the voice of the people, so also the Church must make saving souls its foundational principle and the same yardstick should apply to the multiple NPGs to focus on its core Naga National objective,” the statement read.
Warning against intimidation during the festive season, the council stated, “NCD will not tolerate extortionists, hooligans or any elements that threaten, intimidate or harass the citizens of Dimapur.”
Citizens facing threats, harassment or intimidation have been urged to report the matter through the following contact numbers: 8729875697, 9436004066, 9612121111, 9856854925, 9862588719 and 9862056203.
