Zunheboto chamber opposes NSCN/FRGN ultimatum to non-local businesses

The Zunheboto Chamber of Commerce and Industries (ZCCI) has come out against a purported 30-day ultimatum by the NSCN/FRGN asking non-local business establishments in Nagaland to shut down, and has urged the state government to act firmly against intimidation of traders.

In a statement issued by its president Kikheto Muru and vice president Lhokiye Yepthomi on Saturday, the chamber said no person or organisation should be allowed to take the law into its own hands or restrict lawful trade through threats or unilateral deadlines, The Morung Express reported.

What the chamber wants

The ZCCI asked the government to:

• issue a clear directive that business establishments cannot be forced to close or be obstructed through threats or orders issued outside the lawful government framework;
• take legal and administrative action against anyone found engaging in unlawful intimidation;
• provide protection to business owners, employees, customers and commercial property; and
• set up an easy way for traders to report threats and get quick help.

The chamber said it recognised the need to protect the identity, interests and customary rights of Nagaland's indigenous people, but insisted these concerns must be handled through constitutional and established government mechanisms. Coercive orders, it said, undermine the right to carry on any lawful trade, equality before the law and due process, and run against the spirit of Ease of Doing Business that the state needs to create jobs, including for indigenous entrepreneurs.

It also declared solidarity with the Confederation of Nagaland Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CNCCI).

How the row began

The directive, attributed to the NSCN/FRGN's information and publicity wing in a statement dated October 23, called for shops to stay closed on Sundays and for non-local businesses to wind up within 30 days in specified areas, with municipal areas to follow in a later phase.

It has since drawn objections from the CNCCI, the Naga Council Dimapur, the Dimapur Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Dimapur Urban Council Chairmen Federation, among others. On October 27, Dimapur Deputy Commissioner Dr Tinojongshi Chang said the state government had issued no order to enforce the directive and that the district administration would act only on the government's instructions, Hub News reported. He said security had been stepped up in markets and public places.

The Zunheboto chamber's statement extends the opposition beyond the Dimapur commercial belt. It said it hoped the government would treat the matter with the urgency it deserves.