The people of Nagaland are in a terrible situation. While the State Government has failed to provide governance, their lives and property are at the mercy of militant outfits who exploit them economically
The nation clamours for a cheaper price regime, better industrial activity, more jobs and a higher growth rate. These are issues in Nagaland as well. But in the far North-East, the people have another concern — extortion, or ‘taxes’ as it is said in local parlance, that a number of militant outfits indulge in.
The parallel system is burgeoning into a national problem. The illegal ‘taxes’ levied on trucks moving to Manipur is souring relations between neighbouring States. It is also making cargo transport expensive and commodities dearer. It is not helping the economy. It has created pockets where the State Government is a titular figure.
The so-called peace process since 2008 has weakened the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah), but it has also given rise to virtual hooliganism all over the State in the absence of any Government move to create employment opportunities. The State Government’s writ does not extend beyond the Kohima secretariat. The militant outfits are not shy of their activities. Only recently, the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khaplang)’s chaplee kilonser or ‘finance minister’ Kughalu Mulatonu said that his group had taken up the “responsibility” of combating extortion because the Government alone could not tackle the menace.
Almost every employed or semi-employed Naga, whether working for the State Government or the private organisations, has to lose almost 50 per cent of their income to these outfits, though they have been exempted by the Union Government from paying any income tax. Even Government departments reportedly pay the extortionists on a regular basis.
The estimated money lost in extortion is staggering. There has been a sharp increase in extortion and abduction of businessmen and affluent people by the militants as well, particularly in Dimapur and Kohima.
Extortion began in the heyday of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah) in the 1970s. later, the NSCN (Khaplang) joined the process. Now over a dozen militant outfits have emerged since the peace process started in 2008. The State regime of Chief Minister Neiphiu Riohas had expressed its inability to check the menace, though it now says that it will invoke the National Security Act against
the extortionists.
In Kohima, businessmen, Government employees and the people have to pay these so-called taxes to at least five groups — the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah), the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khaplang), the Naga National Council (Adinno), the Naga National Council (Senka) and the Federal Government of Nagaland (Singnya). Officials in Dimapur say that over 12 groups run the racket.
These outfits collect ‘taxes’ from time to time, apart from charging businessmen, Government departments, contractors and suppliers a ‘yearly tax’. Government employees have to pay yearly taxes ranging from five per cent to 25 per cent, while contractor and suppliers pay a different percentage. For instance, the NSCN(I-M) reportedly deducts 25 per cent as yearly tax from Government employees and the NSCN(K) deducts 20 per cent.
Apart from businessmen and Government servants, every household has to pay a yearly tax of Rs 100 to the outfits. At the New Field Gate in Dimapur, armed groups collect taxes under the nose of policemen manning the gate. Trucks have to pay Rs 4,000 to NSCN(I-M) and Rs 2,500 to NSCN(K) as ‘entry taxes’ while FGN (Singnya) charges Rs 5,000 as a ‘yearly tax’ per truck. The district administration of Dimapur says that apart from armed groups, about 12 different organisations collect taxes from trucks, commercial vehicles and
business establishments.
With the cessation of hostilities among the various Naga groups, businessmen have to pay taxes to all the five factions. The businessmen do not report to the police because even if a militant is arrested, he is released the following day. Government officials say that the militants not only walk into their offices to demand ‘tax’ but also force them to award work contracts.
Dimapur Transport Goods Union says that the truckers have to pay ‘transit tax’ to over 12 organisations. The union has gone on strike several times with its grievance, but it has not led to a resolution of their problems.
Corruption has crept into the highest levels in the Nagaland Government. Remedies are not easy. Across the political spectrum, there are linkages between Government leaders, bureaucrats and different militant outfits.
The emerging hope is the open protests by Naga society. There was demur for long. Now people are coming out in the open. last week, more than 40,000 people came together to express their support the Action Committee Against Unabated Tax.
According to the ACAUT, the Nagas need economic sovereignty; businessmen from outside the region are also part of the problem as they use militants to out-manoeuvre their rivals. The average Naga suffers either way.