Some Observations on Governor's Letter to Chief Minister : Dr. Liezietsu

Kohima, 5th July 2020

The Governor’s letter to the Chief Minister of Nagaland which appeared in Local Dailies dated 26th June 2020 should not be a surprise to the people of Nagaland. It should not be a surprise to the Chief Minister either because Governor has urged the Chief Minister to take some action to contain law and order situation as early as 23rd August 2019.

The State Government was reminded again with the gravity of the situation on 14th November 2019. But nothing has been done. Therefore, the Governor has regretted to say that his urging and advices have gone unheeded.

The NPF Secretary General, Mr. Achumbemo Kikon, while participating in the North East TV debate on 30th June at 8: PM, made the Party’s views very clear that the Nagaland Government or for that matter the Chief Minister should step down on moral ground when law and order in the State has been declared collapsed by the Hon’ble Governor.

We will go one more step further that this Government has failed in all fronts including management and the economy of the State. It may not be necessary for us to go into detail at the moment. But we will be prepared point by point if we are invited to do so.

Let us look at some recent statements issued by the concerned citizens of Nagaland, as examples, to understand the mood of the people of Nagaland. The Dimapur Chamber of Commerce & Industry (DCCI) in their statement dated the 23rd June 2020 under the caption, ‘Tax demands haunt Dimapur business’ has accused ‘some Naga Political Group (NNPG) and their elements of forceful imposition and collecting taxes from shops and business establishments’.

It describes the act as ‘an extreme form of taxation that would surely sound the death knell of the business community’, (Local dailies, 23/6/2020), on the same day, the Tutomi Gham Kughakulu Dimapur (TGKD) also condemned the unlawful act of threat and intimidation meted out to one officer by an outfit of the UGs.

PAC through its media cell published a statement under the caption, ‘Organizations demand action against extortion’ expressed utter disgust and pain and strongly condemned the excessive spree of collection of ‘illegal multiple taxation on Dimapur traders by NNPG.

Therefore, PAC maintained that the State Government was not unaware of such activities. Therefore, it said the State Government silence only reveal either incapability, complacency or complicity with these elements. (Local dailies: 24/06/2020)

This is the condition of Dimapur traders. Dimapur is the commercial hub of Nagaland. Every town in Nagaland buys commodities wholesale from Dimapur and brings it home for retail sale. Therefore, when Dimapur price go up, it affects all other towns simultaneously. The public of Nagaland are indirectly paying those taxes through the Dimapur traders.

Because of businessman will always add to his price the amount of tax he pays to others. Therefore, prices in the market are soaring higher and higher day by day and it is the common people who suffer. But it any one claims that collection of tax is legal, I will not go further with single track minded argument.

But taxes also may have different categories, one cannot just blindly say that all taxes are legal. How many sovereignty Naga people aimed at? People support ACUAT when they advocate “One Govt., one tax”.

The next point, what about extortion? Extortion has got nothing to do with Naga political problem. Extortion is purely a law and order subject. I hope no organization will support it. I do not mean to advise others but it will be good for record if we differentiate properly what is right and what is wrong. There is no justification for extortion and this is one main point in Governor’s letter.

Some organizations attacked the Governor for using the word ‘armed gang’. But why we ourselves are trying to interpret the phrase to let out national workers own it. Or why some underground groups come out to own that phrase by themselves? Let us not mix up the Naga Political Problem and the failures of the present PDA Government in Nagaland.

The Governor has written this letter dwelling on the failures of the present Government in Nagaland and as Constitutional Head of the State, he has a responsibilities. Because the executive powers vested in him which he will exercise directly or through officers subordinate to him in accordance with the Constitution.

On the whole, Governor writes this letter for the sake of the suffering public and not for his own gain or interest. This much I would say now but as state earlier, if I am invited to go further I will be happy to do that.

Dr. Shürhozelie Liezietsu
President,
Naga People’s Front.