Nagaland: Dimapur traders’ body calls for indefinite shutter down against NPGs’ ‘harassment’

DIMAPUR: The Dimapur Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) has issued a call for an indefinite shutter down protest in Dimapur city of Nagaland starting from April 26, in protest against what it describes as “unabated multiple taxation, intimidation and summonses” by Naga Political Groups (NPGs).

The trade body has announced that all shops and business establishments will remain closed from April 26 onwards until the grievances of the business community in Dimapur city of Nagaland are addressed.

The DCCI alleged that NPGs have resorted to various tactics to extort from the business community, including bringing their own Maximum Retail Price (MRP) sticker machines to implicate shop owners and planting illegal substances in shops to tarnish their reputations.

The DCCI claims that NPGs then summon shopkeepers, penalize them with hefty fines, and confiscate CCTV/DVR installations to conceal their actions.

Expressing frustration over “harassment by NPGs”, the DCCI highlighted a recent incident where a businessman was brutally assaulted during an abduction attempt and extorted for money.

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The trade body laments that the hostile business environment in Dimapur city of Nagaland led many businesses to relocate to neighbouring towns in Assam where operating costs are lower.

The DCCI called on the Nagaland government and law enforcement agencies to intervene promptly to protect the business community from further harm, emphasizing that the situation cannot be ignored any longer.

It also advised business owners not to entertain any calls or summons from NPGs without the DCCI’s knowledge and urges them to refrain from storing customers’ belongings for safety reasons.

DCCI further appealed to civil society organizations and the public to support the indefinite shutter down call.