Indefinite Shutter Down of Businesses is a Suicide

Shutter down of businesses was necessitated as a despair against the Government’s inaction. However, making it indefinite is a suicide as it only compounds the already prevalent misery in the society. We are all aware that Nagaland is in the grip of shameless extortion and intimidation of businesses, the result of which is exorbitant cost of all essential commodities. Nevertheless, clamping indefinite shutter down of businesses statewide is not the solution to the problem. The imposed indefinite shutter down must be lifted immediately. A day or two of shutter down is understandable but not its indefiniteness. This will only shatter our kitchens more acutely and other daily needs. Kitchens are already in difficulty and the poor vegetable vendors are also in irrecoverable debt because their commodities are perishable.

Extortion and intimidation is a serious issue and what this menace demands are serious deliberations by all sections of the society; the State government, the administration, the Towns and Village Councils down to the town wards in order to come out with the best and comprehensive strategy to tackle this issue.

Intelligent and serious conversations is the need of the hour. In this, I would strongly suggest that the Chief Minister convene a meeting of the elected representatives to have thorough deliberations on the matter. But prior to this, the Deputy Commissioners of the all the Districts be asked to convene a meeting of their district officials and Tribal organisations and suggestions arrived at be taken up by the State Assembly for onward Cabinet’s finalisation and approval for implementation in the State in right earnest.

The duty of any elected government is to enable businesses to flourish and the society to progress but to bring about this there must be active governance and regulation which unfortunately appears to be missing in Nagaland. For instance, despite the menace that Manipur State is in, all eatable commodities are comparatively cheaper in that State than Nagaland and that too they are transported via Kohima. The reason for this is that there is strict regulation of prices in Manipur as opposed to no regulation is the regulation and no rule is the rule in Nagaland.

The long and short of this article is for an earnest request to the Business Organisation to withdraw the indefinite shutter down because despite the genuineness of their demand for government’s action the means employed is not intelligent and wise enough. While, the other is to highlight the paramount need of conversation on all issues confronting our society instead of jumping into group or personal conclusions. By social conversations I mean, for instance, the Business community instead of discussing only among themselves about their problems take the matter to the wider civil society for further deliberation in order to come out with concrete suggestions and lasting solutions to issues. Such suggestions will then be forwarded to the Government for application of its wisdom before its implementation. This process of thought and social action must be applied for definite success of any given social grievance redressal. To my mind, this is also a way of strengthening the hands of the Government in their service to the people.

Jonas Yanthan