Anti-tax movement spreads wing
Source: Hueiyen News Service / NNN
Dimapur, February 16 2014:
The lobby against rampant imposition of underground tax on people as well as the numerous illegal tax by Nagaland Government has now become a state-wide movement.
Action Committee Against Unabated Taxation (ACAUT) is no longer just confine to Dimapur alone.
After re-christening as "ACAUT Nagaland" the leaders spearheading the movement will now travel to every corner of Nagaland including colleges and other institutions as awareness campaign and also to garner support to the movement.
ACAUT has become "ACAUT Nagaland" after the mammoth public meeting at Chumukedima in Dimapur on February 13 that had witnessed very vocal sentiments expressed against paying tax to the numerous Naga militant organisations as well as the rampant 'illegal' tax from the government especially by the Nagaland police.
On that Thursday meet, ACAUT leaders had asked the business community and the general public in Nagaland not to pay tax to various Naga underground groups even if they demand money 'pointing an AK-47 rifle barrel on your head' .
"We can no longer pay tax to so many underground groups.
We will only pay one tax and that is only possible when all the underground organisations come as one group," asserted ACAUT leaders speaking on the occasion.
"The Naga national movement had not started with an objective to demand tax," reminded the ACAUT leaders.
They also criticised the Naga underground groups saying nothing visible step has been made in the past 60 years except the rampant demand of tax.
ACAUT leaders also lamented that talks have been going on between the NSCN-IM and the Government of India in the past 16 years but nothing has been revealed.
"They said they are negotiating for us but when we are not aware what are they negotiating for us then it becomes a matter of concern," added the ACAUT.
"They said the issues of sovereignty or independence or integration are not in the talk agenda then what are they negotiating?" questioned the ACAUT.
ACAUT Nagaland strongly criticised all the Naga underground organisations saying extortions and killings have become rampant under the tag 'Nagaland for Christ'.
They further criticised that all the Naga underground groups have been using the tag 'Nagaland for Christ' but when called for unity or when urged to shun violence they are doing the reverse.
ACAUT leaders then blamed the government saying the latter has failed its duty.
"There have been illegal taxing everywhere by the government vis-a-vis the Nagaland police," they pointed out.
They also said mushrooming of social organisations are contributing to the price rise.
Selling of calendars, donations by numerous associations or unions have also been a burden to the people, they pointed out.
The leaders also appealed all the organisations and individuals in Nagaland to join the ACAUT movement.
They said ACAUT should be spread in all the districts of Nagaland down to the village level.
Finally, ACAUT re-affirmed for 'One Tax, One Government" .
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