Morung Express News
Dimapur | February 28
Civil society organisations of Chumukedima have called for a 12-hour business shutdown at Chumukedima on February 29 in protest against the shooting and wounding of two labourers. The shutdown was jointly called by the Chumukedima Chambers of Commerce and Trade Association (CCCTA), Chumukedima Town Mothers Association, Chumukedima Town Youth Organisation, Chumukedima Students Union, Chumukedima Tribal Union and Chumukedima GBs.
While condemning the shootings, the CCCTA in a press release informed that the decision was arrived at a joint emergency meeting held on Sunday. The victims – Abdul Sukur and Ainul Haq sustained gunshot wounds on the leg and were admitted to the District Hospital, Dimapur. The release said that Haq and Sukur were shot in their residence by a gunman at the Mile Khuova Road junction at around 7:30 pm on February 27.
“It is learned that a demand/taxation letter was received on 1/02/2016 demanding Rs. 1,00,000 (one lakh) to be paid in one week time, and the refusal to pay the demand led to this incident,” the CCCTA release stated. The demand letter was reportedly received by a bamboo enterprise where one of the victims worked.
Reaffirming its stand on the “One Govt. one tax” resolution jointly adopted by the Chumukedima public on February 13, 2014 as called by the ACAUT Nagaland, the CCCTA release demanded the Nagaland state government to arrest the perpetrators of the shooting. It further appealed the government to grant medical compensation to the victims.
While stating that the shutdown will affect business establishments of Chumukedima area only, the release appealed the police department to enhance security deployment to prevent deterioration of law and order.
ACAUT Nagaland allege dereliction of duty by DH
Meanwhile, the ACAUT Nagaland has alleged the District Hospital, Dimapur of “dereliction of duty.” Visiting the victims at the hospital today, ACAUT said that the two patients (victims) were not provided the requisite medical attention on time by the hospital.
According to the ACAUT, the victims were brought to the hospital at around 10:30 pm on February 27. The emergency doctor attended to the victims and admitted them. However, the ACAUT said, “No doctor attended to them till 2:30 pm today (Sunday),” while adding, “There has been a clear cut case of dereliction of duty.”
One of the victim’s attendants told the media that he asked one of the nurses in the morning why doctors were not attending to them. The query was responded with “Today is Sunday. Doctor has gone to Church.”
The ACAUT, maintaining that the injured were victims of unrequited monetary demand said, “They were shot because tax demand was not acknowledged.” While extending support to the Chumukedima civil society, it held that the shooting was “an attempt to spread fear psychosis by picking on soft target in the lead up to the beginning of annual tax collection.”
