The Naga Council Dimapur (NCD) has objected to four resolutions issued by the NSCN/FRGN, stating that the directives “infringe upon individual freedom, threaten lawful businesses and undermine peaceful coexistence” among different communities.
In a press release issued on October 26, the council said it had taken “serious note” of the resolutions and particularly condemned the directive ordering non-local business establishments to shut down their lawful operations in different jurisdictions and phases. “Such a diktat strikes at the fundamental rights of bona fide Indian citizens and violates the basic principles of coexistence, equality and mutual respect,” the NCD stated, cautioning that the move “risks provoking racial discrimination against thousands of Naga students and employed youths living across the country.”
On Sunday observance, the council acknowledged that repeated diktats had been issued in the past in the name of respecting Christian sentiments, but maintained that “religious observance cannot be imposed through coercion” and must remain a matter of personal choice and conviction. It noted that many establishments had voluntarily closed during church service hours, demonstrating that “faith and mutual respect are best upheld through understanding rather than force.”
On the Nagaland Liquor Total Prohibition Act, 1989, the NCD said it had been spearheading efforts to review the Act’s implementation in Dimapur district, apprising the public and civil society organisations of its research findings through consultative meetings. It added that contradictions between the positions of the Church and the implementing department “remain evident and demand honest public scrutiny.”
Regarding the drug menace, the council maintained that police were already pursuing a zero-tolerance approach against peddlers while village councils and colonies remained vigilant, stressing that renewed advocacy must translate into “effective action rather than mere directives.”
Questioning whether targeting non-local traders could address the stagnation of local businesses, the NCD instead pointed to the proliferation of “37 Naga Political Groups (NPGs), and counting,” citing allegations of interference in production, transportation, market syndicates and monopolistic practices. Such practices, it said, constrain local enterprise and compel many Naga youths to seek employment outside the state to support their families. Citing Mizoram as an example, it said local entrepreneurship could flourish through decades of mutual support and cooperation “rather than exclusion or intimidation,” adding that “economic progress depends on cooperation, fair competition and mutual respect, not coercion and exclusion.”
The council urged law-enforcement agencies to take immediate cognizance of the NSCN/FRGN press release and initiate preventive measures to ensure that no individual or business establishment is “threatened, harassed or forced to cease lawful operations.”
Reiterating its commitment to peace, harmony and the welfare of the people, the NCD called on civil society organisations, the Church and Naga political groups to focus on their respective responsibilities, saying the Church must make “saving souls its foundational principle” while the NPGs should concentrate on their “core Naga National objective.”
Warning against intimidation during the festive season, the council declared it “will not tolerate extortionists, hooligans or any elements” that threaten citizens of Dimapur, and urged anyone facing harassment to report the matter at 8729875697, 9436004066, 9612121111, 9856854925, 9862588719 or 9862056203.
Original Source: https://www.morungexpress.com/ncd-objects-to-threats-against-businesses
Category: Nagaland
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Publish Date: 2026-10-26 22:38:00
