CNCCI condemns Aoyimkum kidnapping, questions armed groups and policing, and demands swift investigation to uphold law and order.
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DIMAPUR — Condemning what it called a breakdown of law and order, the Confederation of Nagaland Chamber of Commerce & Industry (CNCCI) on Saturday denounced the kidnapping of six persons at Aoyimkum on December 15, and questioned the role of armed groups and the police.
In a press release, the CNCCI stated that firearms, meant to protect the Naga people, were allegedly used over accusations of operating a so-called fake call centre.
Questioning the basis of the action, the organisation asked what was “anti-national” about Naga citizens engaging in business activities.
The CNCCI asserted that if any illegality is suspected or detected, the Naga political group concerned should have reported the matter to the competent statutory authorities of the state government for investigation and prosecution.
Crimes or alleged illegal activities, it said, must be dealt with strictly by lawful authorities and not by armed groups operating in the name of Naga nationhood.
Raising concerns over law enforcement, the CNCCI questioned whether the Nagaland Police was discharging its constitutional responsibilities or abdicating them in favour of NPGs.
Also read: CSOs condemn armed raid & abduction at Aoyimkum village
It called for serious introspection within the police force, stating that excessive deployment of resources for mobile checkpoints and routine vehicle checks often resulted in public harassment and were widely perceived as money collection drives.
The organisation urged the police to shift focus decisively towards addressing serious crimes and unlawful activities that threaten public safety and the rule of law.
The CNCCI also stated that the Naga people had never mandated the existence of multiple factions, nor authorised any group to indulge in moral or parallel policing.
It maintained that the mandate given to Naga political groups was to struggle on behalf of the Naga people against colonial rule, and not to inflict fear, pain and injustice on their own people.
Warning that the public would not tolerate subjugation in the name of freedom, the CNCCI questioned whether the state government was waiting for Naga political groups to “hit a century” at the cost of continued public suffering.
It further asked whether the government was taking advantage of the existence of multiple factions for its own convenience.
Challenging the government to act transparently, the CNCCI demanded that it inform the public of concrete steps taken to bring various Naga political groups together and reduce the burden on the common people.
It reminded the government that Nagaland is an electoral democracy, not a kingdom or totalitarian state, and that it is duty-bound to remain accountable to the electorate.
The CNCCI demanded an immediate, swift and thorough investigation into the kidnapping and called for all perpetrators to be booked without fear or favour, irrespective of who is involved.
Kidnapping one’s own people, it said, was “profoundly anti-Naga” and could not be tolerated under any circumstances.