Dimapur bandh against extortion ends, but more actions to follow
Source: Hueiyen News Service / Newmai News Network

Dimapur, June 18 2013: The otherwise noisy and chaotic commercial hub of Nagaland looked deserted today with all the roaring business establishments came to a grinding halt following the dawn to dusk bandh imposed by Action Committee Against Unabated Taxation (ACAUT) under the aegis of Naga Council, Dimapur.

The bandh began at 6 am and ended at 6 pm.

During the bandh there was not a single case of incident of violence reported anywhere in Dimapur.

Roads too looked empty save for few commuters on urgent cases.

The ACAUT said today's bandh was just a pointer of things to come unless concerned organisations and authorities accede to our demands or put mechanisms in place to curb unabated taxation and ultimately price rise, namely, dealership and multiple taxations by underground organisations and price rise which is the prerogative of government to check.

Unable to bear any longer on the rampant imposition of 'taxes' on the business community and also on the general public, the denizens of Dimapur, the commercial hub of Nagaland, the bandh was called.

Schools, colleges, shops, transport system, offices both government and private obliged to the appeal of the ACAUT to close for the day.

ACAUT wants that there should be only one tax payable to any one underground group.

ACAUT also stated earlier that the 'back-breaking' multiple taxes on goods imposed by underground groups should be abolished immediately.

'Irritants' such as trade license tax, ID tax, registration tax, calendar donations, Christmas and New Year donations, etc.

shall not be entertained anymore.

The ACAUT also wants that the yearly tax payable to different underground organisations should not be increased arbitrarily under any circumstances and therefore, amount payable shall be the same as in 2012 .

The creation of the new system of 'dealership' by underground groups has been strongly condemned.

For instance, it was pointed out that under this latest innovation to milk businesses dry, there is only one poultry dealer/supplier in the whole of Dimapur district and no poultry can be sold in the open market without the consent of this poultry dealer.

It can be noted here that the ACAUT had met NSCN-IM, NSCN-Khole/Kitovi and others on the issue.

Meanwhile, ACAUT has listed some other factors that cause to price rise which include DMC toll gates, police check gates, Deopani sand syndicate, Vegetable syndicate, Pan patta syndicate, Cement and hardware syndicate, Fish and dry fish syndicate, Egg syndicate, Dry supari syndicate, Second hand clothes syndicate, Poultry product vendor union and Butcher vendor union.

The list is not exhaustive.

To tackle taxation on a wider scale ACAUT will further pursue to form a fact finding committee to study and compare price of commodities in Nagaland and Assam.

It will also meet the state Chief Minister and the Governor and also submit representation to judiciary of Dimapur district.

The sale of all syndicate controlled poultry products including local chicken is henceforth banned throughout the state indefinitely, starting June 18 .

Anyone found selling poultry shall be doing so at their own risk.

This ban shall stay in force till the price comes down to an acceptable level on par with neighbouring Assam, according to ACAUT.

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