Equated Monthly Instalment - It’s a haunting terminology for a borrower. In a simplistic term it is the amount which you payback to your financer (whether – Nationalised Banks, Pvt Banks or money lenders). To make it more simple : It is an amount fixed (with interest) on principal amount which you have borrowed to repay your loan over a period of time (Number of years). It is mutually agreed between lender and borrower (subject to the repaying capacity of an individual). I am sure, one would wonder : how does it matter to me when I have, neither asked for housing nor education Loan? But, I would say; it does matter ! If you are a good law abiding citizen of ‘Burning Manipur’ or ‘Land of Warlords’ – Nagaland.

How it matters? The story goes like this : One of my friend who had stayed out of the state almost 3 quarter of his total age 42 yrs, had decided to buy a readymade house with in the state. To make his dream house come true he had already arranged few lacs as down payment and balance he was planning to take from the bank. As in any bank, the borrower is confronted with a questionnaire:-

* What is the value of the property and location?.

* How much loan you want?.

* What’s the time period for the loan you want?.

* What’s your gross salary & Net salary?.

Thereafter, the bank calculates the net income and regular liabilities. The bank then decide the amount that can be sanctioned by them (subject to legal and technical clearance of the property from different departments).

My friend, A Dovin (name changed), after having been briefed about the initial procedure proceeded to the Bank after taking blessings from family elders with ‘glimpse of hope’ in his eyes. The Bank manager after exchange of pleasantries asked, for his salary slip for last three months. Dovin was very sure that his monthly salary would enable him for the amount of loan from the Bank specially after implementation of Sixth pay Commission in the state. But a rude shock awaited him. The Manager was ready to sanction an amount of loan which was 25 percent less than expected by Dovin after deducting his liabilities. Though emotionally broken, he sought the reasons of lower amount from the

Bank Manager. The manager replied – ‘It is the 24% amount deducted, since rebels in Manipur and Undergrounds in Nagaland are being paid by every ‘salaried class/business class’. Dovin resisted and said, ‘we all of us are paying but how can you calculate officially by deducting 24% amount from my annual income?’. But, the manager was neither convinced nor agreeable and said ‘you can only be sanctioned 75% of required amount since your repaying capacity is decreased by approximately 25 % after calculation’.

Shattered Dovin returned home totally dejected. He was not even ready to discuss the matter. However after a day or two, one of Dovin’s friend advised him to approach a gentleman (Name not disclosed) who has ‘the connections, with Kheoi and Hebron camps (Head quarter of NSCN(K) and NSCN(IM). The aim : was to get an instruction letter from either of the camps for bank manager, that Dovin be sanctioned the required loan, since he has already made social contribution or voluntary tax, to the camps.

After a lot of persuasion, the gentleman (middle man) agreed to organise a meeting with one of the designated Chaplee of the organisation. Optimistic about the matter, he met the Chaplee. But he was firmly told that the National Socialist Council of Nagas can not go against the laid down rules for collection of taxes and no individual can be exempted. Absolutely shattered, my friend Dovin returned home empty handed.

After two/three days, it occurred to him that he should ask for a financial grant instead. His logic : if these underground organisations are calling them self as protector of the state and have been collecting (voluntarily taxes & social contribution) taxes by issuing demand notes & extortion then, they must also stand up to support people like me. Since they have collected crores of rupees for donkey’s years, as ‘Social Fund’ in the name of social contribution and increasing manifold over the years, why shouldn’t I ask for a grant?.

True they should be supporting person like Dovin from ‘social fund’ during times of need. But, unsurprisingly, the response was negative and the end result was a big ‘ZERO’. Dovin’s dream for a house was reduced to ground Zero!!.

We came to know later that Dovin was suffering from bouts of depression and alcoholic – visiting restaurants where booze, chicks & grass are readily available. Sadly, it was cause of concern and worry for all of us. Dovin was no more his own self as we used to know him. He was in a situation like the lead bollywood actor of the movie of similar name ‘EMI’ where in as a hero was not been able to handle his financial crunch and got into the wrong company and became the bad guy. As friends, we tried every means to change Dovin and bring him back to the fold to his usual humorous and ever smiling Dovin of the past.

The more we tried to talk and reason out Dovin became more agitated and aggressive. He retorted in futility what this state govt is doing for such illegal taxes (so called voluntary taxes)?. ‘How long they can fool the people?’ ‘How many people are contributing it voluntarily?’ If at all they are contributing it is because of the fear of guns and their ‘diktats’ and not voluntarily . Why should we pay EMI for an amount which we have not taken from them? So many questions but no answer! He started crying and shouting and telling that, ‘let them come and kill me but I will not pay anything now onwards!’ Dovin was in an inebriated state yet whatever he uttered was true. Every one of us were touched by his sadness, and whatever he vented out. We could be in a similar situation suffering from such mental agony as Dovin. It is time the govt takes some stern action almost a rare possibility for neither the state Govt nor any NGOs in the state could challenge what was stated in aPress Release recently “ No one on this earth can stop us from taking taxes”. The ‘EMI’ by the Banks or the ‘Equal Monthly (in) subscription (EMI)’ to such organisations will continue to haunt ; you, me and like Dovin, even in our dreams may in death beds or cemeteries. Lest we all unite and resist come what may.

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