Dimapur Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) and East Dimapur Business Association (EDBA) Tuesday while “considering the impracticality” of Sunday closure have appealed to the NSCN (I-M) to immediately lift Sunday closure on trade/businesses including food joints, confectioneries, medicine, groceries, perishable items and travel and tour agencies.
In a joint statement, the DCCI and EDBA said that since the imposition of shop closure they had met NSCN-UT-I CAO on two occasions and apprised him of the difficulty of the business community, travellers and the public.
Accordingly, they said CAO-“responded positively” to relax medicine, confectionaries, travel agencies and lodging hotels. However, they said that in absence of proper directives, there has been huge confusion and unwanted elements taking undue advantage of Sunday closure were harassing the business community.
Further, on other business/trade, the two associations said they were told by CAO that proper directive from the Home kilonser would be taken and intimated to the business community. However, they said till date no decision has been intimated to the business community. DCCI and EDBA said the business community was therefore “totally disappointed.”
Appreciating the intention of Sunday shop closure as a “Christian state”, the DCCI and EDBA, however, maintained that considering Dimapur was the commercial capital of Nagaland and being cosmopolitan in Nature, the shop closure on Sunday was “impractical and self-defeating”. They said shop closure have not restrained hundreds and thousands of shoppers from Nagaland going to nearby town of Assam for shopping on Sunday resulting in huge revenue loss and heavy losses to those dealing with perishable items and “unwanted problems to the public/consumers.”
Meanwhile, the two bodies have extended support to the Naga Council Dimapur (NCD), Dimapur Urban Colony Chairman Federation (DUCCF) and GB Union Dimapur (DGUD) demand for lifting the Sunday shop closure.
NWHD backs NCD: Naga Women Hoho Dimapur (NWHD) has also come out in support of the appeal made by Naga Council Dimapur (NCD) on opening of utility shops on Sunday.
In a press release, NWHD publicity& information, Keninguno Kath, stated that since Dimapur caters not only to the public of Dimapur but also for people travelling to and fro Dimapur, healthcare, eateries, restaurants and hotels should be allowed to be open.