Social media is abuzz with an extortion letter purportedly written by the NSCN-K (YA) to the Public Works Department (PWD), Longding district.
The organisation, which claims to be seeking Naga liberation, is active in the Tirap, Changlang, and Longding areas and has been under the scanner of the government for its alliance with ULFA in carrying out violent activities in the region.
The letter demands 20 per cent as “service and income tax” without any delay and warns that if the demands are not met, the department will be held responsible-a barely veiled threat.
Such letters making their way onto social media are rather rare, given how regularly these are sent to individuals, government departments, and businesses.
Often, such “taxes” are paid by departments, though they may not be reflected in government account books. This is a harsh reality they face, and little can be done unless one is prepared to bear the brunt of these organisations, which extort people and institutions while operating in the name of self-determination.