Extortion highest in Nagaland, tribal body calls it ‘loyalty tax’

Meanwhile, in stark contrast to extortion, the number of cognisable crimes in the state was the lowest among the states – 67.2 persons per 1 lakh population, according to the latest report by NCRB.

For representational purposes

GUWAHATI: Nagaland recorded the highest rate of crime under ‘extortion and blackmailing’ in 2021 at 7.6 per cent against the national average of 0.8 per cent but the state’s apex tribal organisation Naga Hoho said what the government of India says extortion is actually “loyalty tax” in the northeastern state.

HK Zhimomi, who is the Naga Hoho president, The New Indian Express the myriad rebel groups in the state expect people to make contributions to the Naga cause.

“We have the unresolved political problem for Naga nationality. Unfortunately, we have many political (extremist) groups and they want loyalty tax for the Naga national movement,” he said.

“Legally, the government of India may call it extortion but we cannot call it so,” Zhimomi said.

He admitted that there might be some cases of extortion, not related to the rebel groups.

A senior state government official, who did not wish to be named, said when a government remains silent on extortion by the insurgents, the case for police and law enforcement intervention becomes morally and legally weak.

Nagaland has at least nine rebel groups and each runs a parallel government. They survive on extortion, locally called taxation. The groups collect the taxes from all and sundry and the taxes are multiple.

The fear of guns made the people in the state remain silent until they started speaking up against taxation after the formation of an organisation called “Against Corruption and Unabated Taxation” a decade ago. It had launched a “people’s movement” and insisted on “one government, one tax."

In May this year, Nagaland Deputy Chief Minister Yanthungo Patton had said senior insurgent leaders do not want a settlement of the “Naga political problem” so that they can continue to enjoy the comforts of life at people’s cost. He had made an appeal to the Nagas to speak up against it.