Morung Express News
Dimapur | November 9
The trend of extortion, kidnapping and murder in Dimapur and an ineffective law-response from “law-enforcing” agencies are already taking effect. Peace-loving citizens of the state’s commercial center won’t be enjoying Sunday shopping like before.
Shutters of most of the business establishments in Dimapur remained closed on Sunday, today, despite the recent order issued by the Dimapur Municipal Council informing all business establishments to keep their shops open on the day till January 5 next. This was envisaged to facilitate Christmas and New Year shopping for people in and out of Dimapur district.
A shopkeeper, who runs a garment store at AC Market in Hazi Park Market area, said due to lack of ‘good response’ from customers, shopkeepers do not open their shops on Sundays. Most of the shopkeepers clean their shops on Sundays as the day is when they get time to dispose unnecessary goods from their shops. Moreover, he said, they do business from Monday to Saturday so they need time to be with their family and relatives as well.
But, there is also another, deeper story to their reluctance in not doing business on Sundays – extortion, murder and kidnapping in Dimapur. While shops are open till 1:30 pm, due to the abnormal growth in kidnapping, murder and abductions for ransom, most shopkeepers are reluctant to do business. This would further invite or cause unwanted situations, a shopkeeper said. A related reason is the security blanket in and around the town. A shopkeeper said “people don’t feel like shopping in the market places that is filled with too many security personnel”. He was alluding to the psychological impact the image of security – synonymous with unrest – has on people.
However, a businessman admitted that “the deployment of security personnel has brought a pinch of secure feeling among the businessmen in the not-so-secure Dimapur city.” It was also pointed out that “businessmen of Dimapur are yet to get better from the shock of incidents like businessmen abducted and murdered (recently)”. The police, as usual, have not made any breakthrough in any of them although “investigations are on” always.
Another businessman said their families do not want them to do business on Sundays due to the increasing anti-social activities in Dimapur by miscreants and anti-socials. Moreover, “there will not be enough security arrangements on Sundays.” He also observed that “most of the old and prominent businessmen have already left the town due to abnormal increase in extortion and have settled down in other prominent towns of the northeast.”
“Most of the shops remain closed since this is not the proper time to do the real Christmas and New Year shopping by the customers of the town and the other districts,” another businessman said. “The businessmen were even abducted on other business days so how can we take the risk of opening our shops on Sundays” he added.
The DMC’s order that stated, “This order shall come into force with immediate effect” got good response only from a few odd roadside vendors and balloon sellers at Church Road. However, a handful of medical stores, bakeries and restaurants, which remain open on common Sundays, remained open today as well.
