Corruption galore: Led by GBs, chairmen, Illegal immigrants thrive

EMN Dimapur, February 3 [dropcap]T[/dropcap]he testimony of corruption in the Christian state of Nagaland continues to rear its ugly head in myriad forms pointing to an apparent proof that almost every engagement of the Naga community – led by community leaders such as chairmen and GBs – is no more upright. One such case that has been heard over the years is the manipulation of local identities by foreign nationals, particularly illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, who continue to make hay in Nagaland thanks to the myriad loopholes in the system.Survival Nagaland, a local pressure group in Nagaland fighting against illegal immigrants, recently undertook a verification drive in a major marketing area in the town. To their shock, the years’ worth of reports over the years that illegal Bangladeshi immigrants and foreign nationals were running businesses in the name of local persons. The group issued a press release on Tuesday highlighting the practice. Survival Nagaland also enclosed a number of identity cards showing foreign nationals, as proof. On Monday, volunteers of Survival Nagaland undertook a ‘cross verification drive’ of business establishments at the Naga Shopping Arcade commonly known as the Dimapur Super-Market and “were totally surprised at some of the findings during the survey.” The group stated in the press release: “Most of the shops were allotted in Naga names but were sublet to others who were running various types of business like pharmacies, groceries, essential stores, pan shops, Xerox and lamination shops etc., without any trade license or any other residential proofs,” the statement said. Chairmen/ GBs selling away Naga rights for Rs 50 “Many were in found possession of fake driving licenses without possessing any knowledge about driving, PAN Cards etc., whom they said were obtained after getting a residential proof certificates from GBs/chairmen around the vicinity for a mere Rs.50 which these traders mostly from Karimganj district of Assam said could be easily procured anytime,” the press release stated. According to the organization, even the arcade’s courtyards were mostly occupied by hawkers and vendors who possessed no valid documents. These people are even “making our local vegetable sellers mostly Naga women without any place to sell their goods” during the market days, Survival Nagaland said. The names of “allottees”, ‘sublets’ and the various types of documents from where they obtained the documents will be published in the media shortly to enlighten the Nagas, the organization said. Survival Nagaland has warned printing presses “who are making fake driving licenses and other documents in conniving with some unscrupulous Nagas and selling to illegal Bangladeshi Immigrants. The organization has also demanded clarifications from the Medical department “how such a high number of IBIs got hold of certificates to open and run medical stores.” The organization will be demanding the list of names of license holders around the state in the coming weeks through an RTI . “It may be reminded to all once again that the Survival Nagaland movement is a movement to safeguard our land and coming generations and not against any community, religion, or group but to instill work culture and dignity of labor among the Nagas,” the organization stated.