Shillong, Oct.3 (PTI): The North East Indigenous People s Forum (NEIPF) today said influx of illegal immigrants into the North East states is one of the key issues that it would be raising with the legislature, executive and the judiciary of the country.
The decision was taken at the first meeting of the NEIPF, a conglomeration of various organisations which include peace-bound militant outfits from the seven states of the NE region.The meeting was held today at the picturesque Orchid Lake resort at Umiam, about 15 km from Shillong.
The Federation of Khasi-Jaintia and Garo People (FKJGP), one of the biggest social organisations from Meghalaya, was the host of the meeting chaired by the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) general secretary Anup Chetia as the forum s chief convenor.
The NEIPF was formed on September 7 at the North East Indigenous People s Conference (NEIPC) held at Guwahati.
Addressing newsmen after the meeting, NEIPF spokesman N Ibungochoubi said, “One of our serious concerns is the influx of illegal immigrants to the NE region which is changing the demographic profile in every aspect whether it is property, job facilities. The indigenous people in many of the states are being reduced to the status of minority.”
Stating that the Forum will take on all the challenges, find out all the inherent issues facing the different seven states, he said, “We will discuss and bring it to the highest level of our country whether it is the judiciary or the executive or the legislature to protect the rights of the indigenous people.”
On the short-term and long-term solutions to the problem, the Forum s spokesperson said all the NE states will work together to first understand and comprehend what are the endemic and inherent issues of different areas and different ethnic groups.“In the process, we will workout the modalities by working with the local indigenous people and once we comprehend we will initiate our own course of action because our serious concern is the loss of our own identity,” he said.
Ibungochoubi claimed that Tripura is a facing a serious issue today where its indigenous population have been overpowered by people from outside and said that the NE will continue to face this issue in the future if it is not addressed.“We will lose our own identity, own economic strength, we cannot be part of that system where outsiders have become rulers in our own state,” he said.
“Our economic rights have already been dominated by business communities from different parts of the world whether it is from across the border or from mainland India. Our view is that the indigenous people should have equal share in the economic development,” he said.“Unless our political leaders have the political will to protect their own people it will be a difficult task for every organisation or people of our own land. We need strong committed political leaders first to protect their own people it should be in their political agenda,” he stated.
The NEIPF also resolved to establish its chapters in all the NE states as part of strengthening the organisation on the objective to raise the various issues concerning the indigenous people of the seven states.
