National Highway Village Councils Forum set for shutdown; MCCI to extend solidarity

As previously reported by this newspaper, the National Highway Village Councils Forum (NHVCF), representing 13 villages along the 4-lane stretch of National Highway-29, held a joint press conference at 11:00 a.m. today at Sovima Village Council Hall to announce a statewide protest against underground taxation and government inaction.

Speaking to reporters, NHVCF Convenor Sebastian Zumvu stated that the protest will take place on June 11 from 6:00 a.m. to 12 noon, involving a voluntary closure of shops and business establishments and the hoisting of black flags across Nagaland.

The shutdown, according to Zumvu, was to protest the May 23 incident in which civilians were allegedly harassed and assaulted by underground cadres.

Although CCTV footage and identification of the culprits were available, no significant action has reportedly been taken due to the protections the accused enjoy under ceasefire terms.

Zumvu clarified that the protest is not a bandh and will not affect vehicular movement. “We are only requesting shop owners and traders to close their shutters voluntarily and express solidarity by hoisting black flags,” he said. According to Zumvu, the response from chambers of commerce across Nagaland has been “very encouraging.”

He added that the NHVCF has also appealed to commercial establishments across districts to participate in the protest. “We don’t want to inconvenience or harass the traders or the consumers or the customers,” he said, reiterating the symbolic nature of the protest.

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Zumvu also criticized the ongoing extortion, intimidation, and illegal taxation imposed by various underground groups despite decades of ceasefire agreements.

Zumvu also took aim at the ceasefire framework, calling the Ceasefire Ground Rules “outdated, flawed, and tilted” in favour of the underground groups. “The Nagaland state government is not a party to the ceasefire agreements, resulting in ‘grey areas’ that make enforcement of law and order difficult,” he explained. “Our police, despite being competent, are helpless because their hands are tied.”

He further alleged that designated ceasefire camps and monitoring cells have become “safe havens” for criminal elements, with security forces unable to act due to procedural constraints.

He urged the Government of India to review and revise the current ceasefire templates, especially those used for newly emerging factions. “Continued inaction will only deepen public disillusionment and embolden those who operate with impunity,” he warned.

In a show of solidarity, President of Mokokchung Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) told this newspaper that the business body would be hoisting black flags on shops in support of the NHVCF.

MT