Commission on RIIN recommends Nagaland government to provide more details to public

Report said non-local/non-tribals are not eligible for indigenous inhabitant certificate

Our Reporter
Kohima, Aug. 21 (EMN): The Commission on Register of Indigenous Inhabitants of Nagaland (RIIN) has recommended the state government to provide some more details about the RIIN to clear the doubts of the public.

The Commission on RIIN, also known as Banuo Commission, mentioned this in its report that was tabled on the floor of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA) in the recently concluded monsoon session.

“The government may consider preparing a brief write-up on RIIN/RPR- what it is and what it is not - for public information. This would enhance transparency of the RIIN/RPR exercise,” read the report.

Mentioning that various doubts, apprehensions and expectations were expressed during its interactive sessions with various stakeholders, the commission said it was of the view that explanations, including position of RIIN/RPR set against Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA)/National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the objective of RIIN were necessary.

The commission further recommend “intense training” at all levels -- state, district and village -- starting with legislators, government departments, apex tribal and student bodies, women organisations, civil society (including non-tribal) etc., before the commencement of the exercise.

In order to make the process comprehensive, it recommended that a “Hand Book” be prepared with step-by-step instruction for all concerned as well as translate into local language.

It also suggested tightening of land laws and immediate adoption of preventive measures.

“The practice of transfer of land and mutation of patta, in favour of non-tribals, on the basis of indigenous inhabitant certificates speaks either of ignorance or of blatant violation of the land laws of the state. Non-local/non-tribals are not eligible for indigenous inhabitant certificate,” the report read.

“All matters relating to indigenous inhabitants, scheduled tribes, backward tribes, permanent residents, pre-1940 Gorkhas should be dealt by only one authority,” the commission asserted. “Multiplicity of orders issued by different departments have contributed to creating anomalies in the application/implementation of government's policy on these subjects,” it added.

The commission also recommended assignment of one dedicated “Cell” under the control of the departments to look after all these subjects. Management of all categories of community certificates would thus need to be centralised under such a “Cell” with a dedicated officer, preferably belonging to the civil services with field experience.

It also found out during an interaction that the chairman of a village council belonged to a tribe which was not indigenous to Nagaland.

The criteria/conditions for recognition to a village were modified through an office memorandum of the Home department, the report said, adding that according to the modified condition, a new village should be constituted by indigenous inhabitants only, and it has implications on the qualifying criteria to be a member of a village council.

It therefore recommended that the prescribed qualification to be a member of a village council, as mentioned in Section 5 of the Nagaland Village and Tribal Councils Act, 1978, be suitably amended by incorporating "indigenous inhabitant" as a third condition to the existing conditions of being "a citizen of India" and "has attained the age of 25 years".

The Commission on RIIN was constituted with retired IAS officer Banuo Z Jamir as chairperson; Home Commissioner Abhijit Sinha as member secretary;  and retired Commissioner M Patton; Secretary, Justice and Law Khanrinla T Koza; K Inaka Assumi and C Shingwang as members to study, recommend and advise the state government on the exercise.