Dimapur, July 15 (EMN): Two more organisations have expressed reservations over the state government’s move to implement the Register of Indigenous Inhabitant of Nagaland (RIIN).
In a press release issued on Monday, the Chakhroma GB Union stated that if the RIIN is not implemented properly, it could become a bane rather than a boon and could seriously intrude into the rights and privileges of the indigenous Nagas of Nagaland.
“If Indigenous status is granted to non-Nagas who are settled in Nagaland prior to 1963, even non-Nagas will become indigenous inhabitants of Nagaland with the right to own landed properties and become entitled to privileges which otherwise is reserved only for Nagas. Non-Nagas who are settled in Nagaland prior to 1963 can be considered as permanent resident of Nagaland but can never become indigenous inhabitants of Nagaland. Therefore Indigenous Inhabitant status can be conferred only to the Nagas of Nagaland who are Nagas by blood,” it stated.
It termed the government’s policy to implement ILP based on RIIN as ‘rather absurd.’ According to the union, it will ‘pose serious threat to preservation of our unique identity.’
The union preferred keeping the RIIN exercise in abeyance “if it is likely to create problems to the indigenous people of Nagaland.”
A separate statement from the Zeliangrong Baudi (N) reminded that the Joint Committee on Prevention of Illegal Immigrants was formed with endorsement of all the tribe hohos, to check the infiltration of IBIs and for strict implementation of ILP all over Nagaland.
Even the Nagaland Legislative Assembly had decided to introduce ILP in Dimapur after which a committee headed by the home commissioner of Nagaland was set up to work out the modalities, it stated.
Even though the committee has submitted its report to the government, it stated, the content has been ‘kept in the dark.’ Instead of ‘tabling the report’, the government has introduced the RIIN ‘in a hurry without proper consultation with stakeholders resulting in the negative impact on the government notification,’ it added.
Pointing out that the ‘negative impact’ has prompted the state government to call for consultation on July 17, it stated, some tribe hohos like the Zeliangrong Baudi (N) were not in the list of invitees “for reasons best known to them.”
“This policy is to further divide the Nagas, and particularly the Zeliangrong as a people,” it stated.
At this ‘crucial stage’, it suggested, the state government should set RIIN aside before proper modalities or guidelines are worked out for its implementation and focus on strict implementation of ILP in Dimapur.
“While working out modalities or streamlining for RIIN it is felt that there should be partial consideration on the government notification of 1977 on the cut off year of 1963 to either 1971 or 1981,” it sated.
Till 1964, the NNC was totally against the Indian census and electoral roll enumeration in Nagaland and many genuine names were not included in the 1961 census and 1963 electoral roll, the organisation stated.
