While appreciating the NSCN IM group’s effort & seriousness in solving the Indo-Naga political issue, allow me the liberty to invoke the freedom of speech & expression to call a spade a spade with two points on why NSCN IM cannot impose diktat on whether to RIIN or not to RIIN:
1. As rightly pointed out by NSCN IM that “All Nagas are indigenous in their ancestral homeland” forms the fundamental basis of how our Naga political structure and social institutions were based & will continue to be based upon – Village/Tribal Republics! And according to this customary system, as a Lotha Naga hailing from Yimpang village of Wokha, I have no moral nor customary legal authority to intrude and dictate as per my whims in say example Ukhrul village without first asking them respectfully on whether they agree to my idea. Similarly, a person from Senapati cannot come and completely dictate in Ao Republic of Mokokchung because as correctly pointed out by NSCN IM, “All Nagas are Indigenous to their ancestral homelands” where we are inherently united by a shared culture with similar customs under a unified umbrella beyond physical boundaries and tribal republics based on a confederate political structure as “Nagas”.
To avoid possible extinction of Nagas in the near future, RIIN (Registry of Indigenous Inhabitants of Nagaland) is now or never, and those from other ancestral homelands of Senapati, Ukhrul, Assam, Myanmar, etc. technically cannot interfere in the internal affairs of our Tribal Republics within Nagaland because I will also not interfere & impose my laws in your tribal republics without your permission & agreement! Let us learn to respect this code of honour among our Naga tribes then only we can live together, progress together & thrive together harmoniously as a confederation of Naga tribes. In short and sweet – let us mind our own business where we need to. And after Naga solution is achieved, let us implement RIIN in all Naga areas!
2. The debate of indigenous identity ends by differentiating an “indigenous” and a “domicile” because not everybody who settled in the state post 1960’s can be considered indigenous inhabitant. However, they can be considered a domiciled person. And these classifications should not lead to discrimination of any sort in the future but rather thrive within our own perimeters of rights and privileges associated with each classification. Domiciled persons should not require ILP and they can take up businesses but should ensure that with the money they earn, they need to contribute back to our society. A domiciled person cannot own land and get equal privileges associated with a Scheduled Tribe person of Nagaland.
Like I stated before, those who are against RIIN reveal themselves as traitors and have taken the side of illegal immigrants who have no values nor integrity and are ready to sell away our lands, our rights and our identity to outsiders thereby contributing to the extinction of Nagas! We are witnessing with our own eyes, the massive influx of illegal migrants into the state and settling down and even owning property especially around Dimapur. Your children will become minority in your own land if today a mechanism is not enforced to SHUT this corrupted hole through which a handful of double standard corrupt officials are selling away our future in exchange for cash.
This exercise of RIIN is focused on creating a new system based on state-of-the-art technology which will eliminate the existing out-dated corrupted system and seal our database once and for all so that illegal immigrants do not become the owners of this land in a few decades! RIIN exercise should be carried out only by persons of pure Naga indigenous blood of noble character with the highest degree of honour and integrity under the stringent monitoring and supervision of civil society whereby cases and scenarios of inclusion and exclusion of persons in RIIN should be decided upon with utmost honesty and prudent judgement.
The current apprehension especially among brothers and sisters from the south should not exist at all! This is not the flawed 16 point agreement which divided us, rather this is only going to strengthen our identity as a people wherein we start with Nagaland and extend this to all Naga areas once solution arrives. Even those who are adopted or are not of indigenous blood and have accepted the Naga culture & way of life; fear not because this exercise is not targeted towards you. This RIIN exercise is targeted towards protecting our indigenous population, our land and our rights from illegal immigrants!
Those non Nagas who have been living in this land for generations; who have been with us in both good times & in bad times without abandoning this land and also contribute to the society (Instead of only earning our money, enjoying the best climate and fresh air without giving anything back to our society), RIIN can be incorporated with the inclusion of an additional domicile identification &these domiciled persons will not require ILP. Life will be in fact more secure, systematic and free from confusion for all of us after RIIN is implemented where we can all focus on other more productive and progressive activities including farming, entrepreneurship and innovation to uplift our economy!
(RIIN is only the registry of indigenous inhabitants and not the Schedule Tribe (ST) registry! Note the difference between ST certification & indigenous certification. An ST person has more rights and privileges than an indigenous person or a domicile person in terms of owning property, Govt. job reservations & political authority.)
And since we follow paternal lineage in terms of giving identity to a new born, after RIIN database is created and finalised, it will be sealed forever. Only newborns whose father’s name is in RIIN database will receive indigenous identity thus eliminating the rampant selling of indigenous certificates by corrupted traitors and minimise the inter marriage among Naga girls & illegal immigrants just to acquire rights of land and property by giving their children Naga identity. A Naga woman will always carry her Naga identity irrespective of who she marries till her death but the child will have to be given the father’s identity since this is the precedence set in our paternal based society.
And since now the Supreme Court has also rejected the PIL on ILP, it is now or never; do or die situation as a people, to strike when the iron is hot and immediately finish this exercise while simultaneously implementing the online ILP system on war footing!
Myopic small minded sceptics will not be able to comprehend the significance behind this historic initiative. RIIN is not something which is 16 point agreement like, which divided us Nagas. But RIIN is a visionary initiative unlike other delusive steps taken in the past. Generations of Nagas will remember and thank those who have implemented one of the most iconic projects in Naga history.
After RIIN is successfully implemented in Nagaland, and once Naga solution arrives, RIIN should be implemented in all Naga areas to protect our indigenous identity & our Naga homeland!
Yanpvuo Kikon
