GUWAHATI: The tribals in Nagaland are on a collision course with S S Khaplang faction of National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-K) after the insurgent group’s hefty ‘taxation demand’ resulted in the mobile service providers suspending their services in Zunheboto district. The services, except that of state-run BSNL, have been suspended since June 18, thereby compounding the miseries of the people in the far-flung region.
However, in a statement issued on Monday, the NSCN-K did not deny the ‘taxation demand’ made by the outfit’s self-styled ‘Lt. Col’ Issac Sumi but said no specific amount had been mentioned.
Sumi tribesmen, who have a sizeable presence in the district, were miffed that the insurgent group was unnecessarily meddling in the “development activities”.
At a meeting, various frontal organisations of the tribe vowed not to tolerate “such unlawful and unjustified activities” of NSCN-K, which, along with two Manipur outfits, had carried out the recent ambush in Manipur’s Chandel district that killed 18 Army men, including a JCO, besides leaving several others wounded.
The organisations affirmed that they would stand firmly against any unlawful activities by any group or individual in the larger interest of the people living in the district. Further, they vowed to get the service providers to resume the services to send a message to the various groups “not to interfere in any development activities in the future”. And the organisations reiterated a previous resolution which says, “If and when any act of violence or desecration is inflicted on any Sumi individual or the community in the coming days, Sumis will retaliate”. The various insurgent groups in Nagaland run a parallel administration and traders and government servants are required to pay ‘taxes’ to the groups.