Nagaland government should not mix RIIN with ILP, says NSF

Dimapur, July 31 (EMN): The Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) has asked the State Government not to mix the Register of Indigenous Inhabitants of Nagaland (RIIN) with Inner Line Permit (ILP).

In a press release issued on Wednesday, the federation lamented that successive governments had miserably failed to implement the ILP diligently for more than six decades, allowing illegal immigrants to flourish in the state. Stating that there is no better mechanism than ILP to regulate the flow of tourists and control the influx of illegal immigrants, it has urged the government to implement it in Dimapur without delay.

“ILP needs a tough honest government run by tough honest leaders, tough honest bureaucracy backed by tough honest public,” read the statement.

The NSF said that it was disturbing to find during its ILP holders verification drive along with its sub-units in various districts over the years that the ILP has not been properly implemented and “the influx of illegal immigrants is posing as the biggest demographic threat to the indigenous inhabitants of the State.”

“Over the years, we have been demanding over and over again for the effective implementation of ILP regime in Dimapur. The lack of stringent implementation of the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation (BERF) 1873 and the exclusion of Dimapur district from the purview of ILP have made the Dimapur district a safe haven for illegal immigrants,” read the statement.

Stating that there is an overwhelming population of people with questionable identities without identity proof living in Dimapur, the student body said that if the city is allowed to be a melting pot, illegal immigrants will dominate Nagaland and the Northeast, “threatening our identity, culture and our very survival and resulting in societal destruction.”

It stated “Nagaland is too small and its population little to handle this undeniable threat” and there are possibilities of the people becoming “refugees in our own land.”

While assuring to continue carrying out the task of checking and verification in connection with ILP along with its sub-units, the federation placed the following demands to the State government:-
• The government should not mix RIIN with the ILP regime as the RIIN issue is under the consideration of the committee being set-up by the government of Nagaland.
• The government should not further delay the implementation of ILP due to RIIN or any other reasons whatsoever.
• The Government to implement the ILP regime in Dimapur district in toto.
• Envisage an effective mechanism to protect all genuine citizens.
• Set a time bound period for the ILP regime implementation effective immediately.
• We endorse the Abhijit Singh recommendation for the ILP regime implementation in Dimapur district.
• Strictly implement the mechanism based on our previous propositions through our sincere representations and memorandums.
• To exercise the political will to deliver on its commitment.