Indefinite Bandh in Dimapur from October 7: PAC

Morung Express News
Dimapur | October 1

The Public Action Committee (PAC) of the Naga Council, Dimapur announced an indefinite bandh in Dimapur from October 7, 6:00am. The announcement comes in the wake of what the PAC termed as the Dimapur district administration failing to streamline pricing as demanded by the PAC during its recent 6-day vigil at the government check-posts to keep a tab on illegal monetary collection. 

PAC Convenor Vekhosayi Nyekha, at a press conference today, said that the bandh call is as per a resolution adopted on October 1 by the 19 units of the Naga Council, Dimapur and other frontal organization, including business bodies. 

“No follow up action was taken by the district administration to the PAC’s demand to revive the District Price Regulation Committee and streamlining the prices of commodities,” said Nyekha. This demand was included in a PAC representation to the DC on September 20. In the representation, it had urged the Deputy Commissioner to act within a week. 

Queried why the PAC has to go to such an extent as total closure despite a prevailing general resentment against ‘bandhs’ as a mode of protest, he said that it is for a genuine cause and has the mandate of the civil society of Dimapur. 

He added that even educational institutions will be shutdown though students appearing examinations will be spared. 

He meanwhile said that the PAC is happy that the DMC has done away with the system of outsourcing toll collection and has started deploying its own employees to do the job from October 1.  Further, Nyekha said that the PAC will be writing to all tribal hohos and concerned citizens of the state to organise and act on the lines of the PAC to curb illegal taxation. He added that it will also be writing to the Nagaland Chief Secretary to start a process of coordination with the Manipur counterpart to act on harassment faced by truckers transporting goods from Moreh and other parts of Manipur. 

The PAC reiterated its resentment that none of the MLAs from Dimapur has shown any hint of concern for the campaign.

Meanwhile, he dismissed as rumour a report circulating on social media that the PAC will organise a public rally on October 7 and the indefinite bandh will start on October 9. 

Transport monopoly?

In another development, the PAC informed that it has filed an FIR against three transport agencies in Dimapur for allegedly preventing other transporters from ferrying goods to Dimapur. The FIR filed today named three transport agencies operating from Dimapur— Shinghapur Transport, M/S Freight Transport and Ankit Transport. In the FIR, these agencies were accused of “restricting vehicles from entering Dimapur for reasons best known to them.” 

Nyekha said that the PAC received credible inputs that other transporters not connected to the three agencies were being prevented from entering Dimapur for the 5th consecutive day since September 27. Hinting at a likely transport monopoly, he added that as per the inputs, construction items and non-essentials are being allowed in as usual but only trucks ferrying essential commodities have been conspicuously barred. 

The Dimapur police confirmed receipt of the FIR and stated that inquiry was on.