‘About time Nagas realize they’re the victims’
Dimapur, June 23 (MExN): The assurance of the Democratic Alliance of Nagaland government in its rhetoric to fight another menace such as extortion cannot be trusted for the reason that the state government has ‘no guts’ to fight, the Opposition Congress said today. Seeking to echo the sentiments of the suffering common Nagaland citizen today, the Congress minced no words, only falling short of calling the state government cowards and said the common citizen is the only victim, at the end.
Another disturbing issue the Congress raised in its hard-hitting statement today was made in an underhanded allusion to the DAN government’s stating to elevate the status of arrested underground workers to that of so-called “political prisoners.” Blaming the wrong policy of the government to be a factor in encouraging anti-social cultures such as extortion, the Congress also denounced the DAN government for its terming bloodshed and extortion in the state as a “political problem.”
“The DAN government has no guts to fight the more than ten insurgent outfits operating in Dimapur alone”, the Congress stated simply in reference to the ongoing truckers’ strike against the wanton extortion culture in the state. In the statement issued through Congress spokesperson SI Jamir, the Opposition said the DAN’s assurance cannot be trusted. “Can they really assure the truckers and the people of Nagaland that there will be no more extortion henceforth? To us this has become chronic cancer disease in the DAN and this is their means of survival, therefore their assurance cannot be trusted. They do not have the gut to fight with the over 10 insurgent outfits for Dimapur is already a haven of insurgents,” the Congress reminded.
The Congress reminded the people that they, the ordinary citizens of Nagaland, should realize that “we are the ones ultimately paying every extortions and demand as the amount extorted is added to the cost of the goods which we buy helplessly at exorbitant rates.” “Extortionists are extorting on all the goods that are imported into the state as well as those that are produced within the state. On the other hand, the ministers and parliamentary secretaries are extorting the public exchequer. They deduct directly from all DDOs, head of department and contractors’ and suppliers’ bills. The state already has a deficit of over Rs. 600 crores. They are running the state by ways and means advance and advance from RBI and the centre. The state is heading toward an embargo soon,” the Congress stated in caution.
The DAN government’s terming killings and extortion as political problem was also denounced. “This wrong policy has encouraged and influenced many youth to join the insurgents to live on extortion making it a survival system in their blood. Unless drastic change is taken from the top policy makers, the crooks cannot be corrected by bigger crooks. This is the cause of the present crisis. This policy is a crime against the peoples’ economy,” the Congress reminded.
Over the ongoing truckers’ and transporters’ strike, the Congress reminded the government that even national-permit holding truckers have refused to come to Nagaland for they cannot afford extortion any more. The extent of extortion is such hat even taxis dump passengers till Bokajan and not enter the state. “The truckers have to pay Rs.5, 000 as annual permit to enter into Nagaland. After which for every trip depending on goods they carry, have to pay up to Rs.40, 000 just to enter Dimapur. Taxis are dumping Nagaland passengers at Bokajan….Nagaland Police Gate has become a terror gate for the truckers” the Congress said. The Congress has sought the intervention of the Central government to rescue the people.
