Morung Express News
Dimapur | October 10
Contrary to the call for economic growth and market liberalization for self-employment of the youth by various state political leaders, Nagaland continues to lose out on opportunities catapulting growth and rapid development across the states nearest borders.
Closures and restrictions imposed on the markets doing brisk business on weekdays has also seen vendors shift market to more conducive environments across the borders hampering growth in the state. ‘We do business from Monday to Saturday in Dimapur and come here as the market is closed on Sundays,’ vendors reacted when asked.
Interestingly, while shutters are down on the market on Sundays, visitors, mostly locals, though forced to cover more distance, bear conveyance cost and lost out time in commuting continues to make a beeline across the border for Sunday shopping.
Not less than 300 to 400 vehicles from Nagaland visit the market every Sunday, people living in the vicinity informed adding, a large number of people crowd the market from 6 am in the morning upto 3 pm in the afternoon as the market in Dimapur is given a Sunday holiday.
Making an obvious statement, a visitor on the condition of anonymity without mincing words pointed out that development across the border was a direct result of unfriendly attitude towards the market in the state.
Another person, a regular visitor said the market was just an open stretch of road earlier which has grown rapidly to become one visited by thousands, whose number has been growing increasingly with every Sunday.
Further, the long debated prohibition, wherein, the church continues to hold the upper hand to insure the spirit dry state, have also resulted in neighbors cashing in by opening rows of wine stores and bars to lure customers deprived of seeing spirits sold openly.
‘Most of the customers visiting wine stores in this area are Nagas from Dimapur,’ a wine storeowner opined when questioned. It may be recalled here that there have been numerous reports in the local dailies on local youth making a beeline visits to these stores in the recent past draining out the states funds. Irate youngsters, not wanting to be named argued that prohibition has been hitting the coffers of the state exchequer and the common people alike and draining out revenues year after year.
Sending out a clear message, they stated, ‘any growing city has its own needs which has to be accommodated and closures were not welcome sign for the lone city, which is also the commercial capital of the state to grow and prosper’.
