EMN
Dimapur, November 18
School teachers have issued a statement stating that the undergrounds are threatening and harassing them for not paying the so-called “taxes” which the armed groups extract from people. The leadership of the All Nagaland School Teachers’ Association (ANSTA) issued a press release expressing resentment for the intimidation and threats from the underground elements.
The situation is compounded by what the ANSTA suggested is a wait for the Naga Students’ Federation and the Eastern Naga Students’ Federation to broker a solution to the issue of “taxation” with the undergrounds. An attempt to resolve the issue with the help of the two students’ organizations was stalled when cadres of the armed underground organizations shot and injured an NSF leader in June earlier.
The ANSTA leaders stated in one length: “The association members while waiting for the outcome of negotiation are being harassed / intimidated / threatened etc. on the pretext of not paying tax. Since the issue is to be resolved between negotiating parties, the association hereby extends its humble appeal to all the NPGs (“Naga political groups”) to know the position of the teaching community in the issue and kindly refrain from harassing, intimidating, threatening teachers as they are now sandwiched with the circumstances besides being engaged for the final examination/ forth quarterly assessment which is at hand.”
The leadership of the NSF and the ENSF had jointly undertaken action to exempt educational institutions from any form of “taxation” last year. The two apex students’ organizations had several rounds of talks and meeting with the Naga underground groups in their respective camps and negotiated exemption of educational institution from the purview of “taxation”.
However, in the process of negotiation an unfortunate firing incident took place between NSF and a particular faction in Kohima on 25th June 2013 which created some misunderstanding between them. This is one stumbling block for the negotiating parties to come to conclusion in time because the two students’ body would like to come out with detail guidelines /modalities on taxation only after meeting all the groups in consideration.
Nonetheless, the association hopes that ‘ongoing negotiation’ will bring about an amicable solution to the issue. The teachers have appealed to all the underground factions not to ‘hamper the negotiation process but to pave way for an early settlement of the issue in discussion.’
