Nagaland Governor demands action against extortion, ‘armed gangs’

"I can no longer abstain from my constitutional obligations for the law and order in the state under Article 371 A (1) (b) of the Constitution of India," says Ravi.

Dimapur, June 26 (EMN): The governor of Nagaland has vented his ire at the extortion activities and intimidation by ‘armed gangs’ and syndicates with their so-called governments that are challenging the state government’s authority besides causing panic and fear among the public, or hindering development of the state.

A perceptibly displeased RN Ravi wrote a strongly-worded letter to the chief minister of Nagaland on June 16, lashing out at the activities of the ‘armed gangs’, who the letter, stated were questioning the ‘sovereignty and integrity’ of the country while the state’s law and order instruments do nothing.

A copy of the letter addressed to the chief minister began circulating on social media on June 25.

‘I have been closely observing the precarious law and order situation in the state with a lot of concern ever since August 2019 when I came here as the governor,’ the letter began. ‘Day to day unrestrained depredations by over half a dozen organised armed gangs, brazenly running their respective so called 'governments' challenging the legitimacy of the state government without any resistance from the state law and order machinery has created a crisis of confidence in the system.’

Extortion, armed groups, public alarm

Ravi reminded that law-abiding citizens from daily wage earners to petty vendors, from businessmen to shopkeepers, owners of restaurants to road construction companies, from entrepreneurs or government servants, are being made miserable by the rampant extortion and violence by the ‘armed gangs.’

The governor listed the scourge in Nagaland: The state government’s development departments are under duress to give regular ‘ransom’ to the armed gangs. He reminded that the ‘town commands' of these ‘gangs’ keep the people in towns and neighbourhoods ‘terrorised; brazen display of fire power by the rival gangs for turf control drive the people to panic.’

‘Tax’ on goods from salt to construction

“Situation has deteriorated to such an extent that the armed miscreants appoint their own 'dealers' for every commodity from salt to construction materials coming into the state. They decide and levy illegal ’taxes' on every item. They run 'syndicates', for contrabands including alcoholic drinks which they help smuggle into the state,” the letter read.

Ravi stated that the groups are ‘operating check gates for this purpose at almost every entry points to the state within the full knowledge of the state law and order machinery’. ‘Commodities coming to Nagaland become exorbitantly expensive for the consumers and kill the local entrepreneurship. Transporters have complained to me that there is over 200% cost escalation in transportation the moment a goods laden truck enters Nagaland due to gun-point extortions by the armed miscreants,’ he added.

He however acknowledged the work of the community organisations, saying that ‘civil society organisations, at great personal risks to their members, have been raising voices from time to lime against such blatant unlawful activities of the armed gangs. I have received several representations of public for intervention and relief because the state law and order machinery does not act’. 

Government funds

Further, the governor attributed the ‘steady down-slide in all the parameters of development in Nagaland’ such as road connectivity, health and education infrastructures and livelihood, ‘to siphoning off a large chunk of government funds meant for development’.

‘The Report ending March 2018 of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India bears disturbing testimony to massive leakage of funds with impunity across the departments. A significant reason for such huge leakage is attributed to institutionalised systemic ransom to the armed gangs. Several officers have complained to me of doing so under extreme duress,’ the governor stated.

Disappointed at ‘sleepy SIT’

Ravi also noted that the NHIDCL authorities and project contractors have frequently complained about the ‘armed gangs’ stopping work unless 5-7% of the project cost is given to them as ransom.

‘There have been instances of kidnapping and assault on project engineers and managers for defiance or delay in ransom payment. They have informed how the constriction companies’ officials are summoned to the Dimapur offices of the armed gangs for payments and negotiations. They narrated several times these unlawful activities in the presence of senior officials of the state government including the chief secretary, home commissioner and DGP,’ he wrote.

The governor also stated that during a meeting on January 11, 2020, he had advised the chief secretary and the DGP to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to bring the culprits to book and deter others from such activities.

“Since I continued receiving complaints of harassment, I asked the SIT in-charge for a briefing which was done on 2nd June 2020. I am hugely disappointed at the sleepy and indifferent attitude of the SIT. Obviously it has no impact whatsoever,” he wrote.

Among other issues, Ravi took note of the encroachment and deforestation by armed miscreants, who he stated have “become audacious enough to evict the forest officials and their families from their residential houses and quarters at gun point and occupy the government official’s colony for their stay and operations”.

Action only against ‘foot soldiers,’ not leaders

The governor lamented again that action against the armed groups by the state’s police were only against ‘foot soldiers’.

“Reports of the DGP on police action against the armed gangs during the last over three years reveal disconcerting facts on the abysmal status of law and order in the state. Whatever actions against the armed miscreants that have been occasionally taken are only against the foot soldiers,” the letter read.

 “I did not come across a case in which senior members of gangs have been implicated. In over 98% cases, the accused are at large on bail within a couple of days of arrest. Even in grave offences such as those under the Indian Arms Acts and Explosive Substance Act where minimum punishment under law is prescribed for five years or more, the convicted accused are awarded 5-10 days sentence often with the concurrence of the Public Prosecutor,” it added. “You would agree that such a mockery of Rule of Law is unacceptable to say the least.”

Ravi stated that the constitutionally established state government is being challenged on day-to-day basis by the ‘armed gangs who question the sovereignty and integrity of the nation while the instruments of law and order remain totally unresponsive’.

“In such a backdrop I can no longer abstain from my constitutional obligations for the law and order in the state under Article 371 A (1) (b) of the Constitution of India. I hereby propose that hereafter important law and order decisions like transfer and posting of officials entrusted with maintenance of law and order responsibilities of and above the district level will be after the approval of the governor,” the letter read.

Further, the governor stated, ‘I also propose to periodically review the law and order in the state and issue required lawful directions. In order to instil and ensure accountability, I also prefer to review the Annual Performance Appraisal Reports of all such officers’.