Fear of persecution by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on charges of funding rebel groups has led state government employees in Nagaland to demand an end to the agency’s terror funding probe in the state.
Thousands of employees under the banner of the Confederation of All Nagaland State Services Employees Association (CANSSEA) staged a rally in capital Kohima on Tuesday, seeking withdrawal of cases filed against their colleagues by the agency.
Carrying banners with slogans like, ‘NIA leave our employees alone’ and ‘Forced taxation is not equal to aiding and abetting’, the employees marched till Raj Bhawan and submitted a memorandum to governor PB Acharya.
Accusing the state government of failing to protect interest of employees, the memorandum urged Acharya to take up the issue with the Centre.
The demand by the CANSSEA, which represents 1.3 lakh of the nearly 1.6 lakh state government employees in Nagaland, follows arrests of seven employees by the NIA earlier this year on charges of diverting government funds to rebel groups.
In Nagaland, various insurgent outfits, also called Naga National Political Groups (NNPGs) run parallel governments and collect ‘tax’ from government employees, traders and businesses. Sometimes these ‘taxes’ are diverted to the groups directly from government coffers.
{{/usCountry}}In Nagaland, various insurgent outfits, also called Naga National Political Groups (NNPGs) run parallel governments and collect ‘tax’ from government employees, traders and businesses. Sometimes these ‘taxes’ are diverted to the groups directly from government coffers.
{{/usCountry}}“The undisputed reality is that payments of tax to the NNPGs are made not voluntarily or willingly, but under duress and fear of life and limb,” stated the memorandum.
The CANSSEA feels if the NIA continues its investigations against employees, who are caught between “the devil and the deep blue sea”, no one would be spared.
“We want the NIA to stop investigations against the seven officials (who have since been granted bail) and drop all charges. If that doesn’t happen, we will be forced to take steps like mass casual leaves and other measures in the interest of our safety,” CANSSEA general secretary Tarachu Fithu told HT over phone.
Following arrests of three officials in April, the NIA had arrested four more government employees in October on charges of “contributing government funds to the banned outfit (National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang)” and paying “huge amount of money” to other outfits between 2012 and 2016.
Most of the militant outfits in Nagaland are engaged in peace talks with the Centre to end decades-old militancy in the state. Taxation and extortion are the major sources of funds for these outfits.
In April this year, the Isak-Muivah faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-IM) halved the annual tax it imposes on the state government employees.
Earlier, every employee was required to pay 24% of their one month’s salary to the outfit once a year. After slashing of rates, employees are required to pay 1% of their month’s salary (12% in a year) to the group.
Resident tribes in Nagaland, who enjoy special privileges under Article 371 (A) of the Constitution, are exempted from paying taxes to the state and central governments.