Naga Council Dimapur opposes NSCN/FRGN directives targeting non-local businesses and urges action against threats and harassment
DIMAPUR — The Naga Council Dimapur (NCD) has opposed directives issued by the NSCN/FRGN targeting non-local businesses, urging law-enforcement agencies to act against threats, harassment and forced closures.
In a press release issued on Monday, the council stated that the Naga group’s four resolutions infringed on individual freedom, threatened lawful businesses and undermined peaceful coexistence among communities.
Condemning the directive ordering non-local establishments to shut down in different jurisdictions and phases, the NCD said it violated the rights of bona fide Indian citizens and risked encouraging racial discrimination. It also warned that such actions could have repercussions for Naga students and youths working outside the state.
The council asserted that local businesses could not be strengthened by targeting non-local traders. It stated that the proliferation of Naga political groups, which it put at 37 and counting, had become a concern, citing alleged interference in production, transportation, market syndicates and monopolistic practices.
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Citing Mizoram as an example, the council said local entrepreneurship could thrive through cooperation and mutual support rather than exclusion or intimidation.
The NCD urged law-enforcement agencies to take cognisance of the NSCN/FRGN statement and initiate preventive measures to ensure that no person or business was threatened, harassed or forced to cease lawful operations.
It also called on civil society organisations, the Church and Naga political groups to focus on their respective responsibilities. Warning against extortion and intimidation during the festive season, the council said it would not tolerate acts threatening Dimapur residents.
It urged anyone facing threats or harassment to report the matter to the council.
On Sunday observance, the NCD stated that religious practice should not be imposed through coercion. It pointed out that many establishments voluntarily closed during church service hours and reasoned that faith and mutual respect were better upheld through understanding than force.
The council also reiterated its call to review the implementation of the Nagaland Liquor Total Prohibition Act, 1989, in Dimapur district. It added that differences between the Church’s position and that of the department responsible for implementing the law required public scrutiny.
On drug menace, the NCD highlighted that police were pursuing a zero-tolerance approach against drug peddlers, while village councils and colonies remained vigilant. It called for collective action to address the problem.