There have been recent reports in the local media about escalating costs of essential food items in Dimapur, the commercial hub of Nagaland. If this is the case, one can only imagine what the situation will be in the rest of the State since most of the food items are lifted from Dimapur. There have been several complaints from the public about the increasing cost of living. It should not come as a surprise that many places in Nagaland have started to forego Dimapur as the trade hub precisely for this reason—the cost factor. For instance, it is common knowledge that people in Mokokchung and its adjoining areas including Zunheboto and Mon have started to do buy directly from neigbouring Assam. According to their rationale it is far cheaper and convenient to get their goods and services from towns like Jorhat, Assam. Recently some established traders in Guwahati expressed concern about doing business in Nagaland because according to them, there is no laid down rules. For instance, retailers in Dimapur do not follow the MRP rates but charges double or even triple the amount. This makes it unviable for business to sustain itself. Such kind of practice will not be allowed in other cities. Similarly the cost of labour is also one of the highest in the country. Today, the cost of unskilled manpower per day is around Rs 150. In other States it is around Rs 80 if not less. It is believed that the increasing population of unskilled labour from around the country and region into Dimapur is because they get paid well here. The problem appears to be that there is no official rate and even if there is, the public are not aware about it or do not seem to care about paying extra cash. It seems to be our habit to spend lavishly. In the process, our lifestyle itself is one of the reasons for the cost escalation that we are witnessing.
The State government should also direct the concerned authorities in Nagaland to find out as to why the consumers have to pay so much. There could be several reasons for the cost escalation. Some of them could be genuine while a majority of cases may not be justified. For instance, there is a tendency to make huge profits at the cost of the consumers. This trend is quite visible in Nagaland. While there is nothing wrong in making profit, this should not become blatant. We must distinguish between profit and greed. In this regard, one should also make a mention that awareness about consumer rights in Nagaland is indeed very poor. A vigilant public is the need of the hour. However, at the same time, it has to be acknowledged that we face some unique problems. In other words, ours is not the most conducive of environments to do business. The first problem we have to recognize is the parallel taxation being operated by the so called underground. The problem is compounded by the extortion racket run by all sorts of people—from armed cadres, criminals and other desperate elements. And when prices skyrocket, traders usually justify the same pointing to this double taxation at home. Transporters who play a crucial role in carrying goods and services also cite this reason. The second problem is essentially about improving our infrastructure—better roads, power, security. The third as already mentioned is public apathy and our own greed for more. The point is how we as a State and society confront these problems?
