NSF issues charter of demands to Nagaland Chief Minister

DIMAPUR — The new leadership of Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) has submitted a memorandum to the chief minister, highlighting a series of key political, administrative, and developmental issues affecting the state and the Naga people.

In the memorandum, the federation commended Nagaland government for various initiatives under the chief minister’s leadership but urged immediate intervention on several urgent matters—including the Indo-Naga political issue, influx of illegal immigrants, rampant backdoor appointments, and youth empowerment.

Inclusive solution

Reaffirming its commitment to the Naga political cause, the NSF called upon the state government to take a proactive and decisive role in facilitating an inclusive and honourable solution to the Indo-Naga political issue.

It urged the government to ensure the inclusion of all Nagas across artificial boundaries, advocate for territorial integration, and support dialogue without preconditions.

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Raising alarm over what it stated was the growing influx of illegal immigrants, the NSF maintained that poor enforcement of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) system has left loopholes for infiltration and settlement by non-indigenous people.

It urged the government to establish a Special Commission for Inner Line Regulation, create a centralised ILP database, set up checkpoints at Dimapur Railway Station and Airport, and form ILP enforcement wings in every district headquarters.

End backdoor appointments

Describing the continuing practice of illegal appointments in state departments as a “cancerous problem”, the NSF demanded that all recruitments be routed strictly through the Nagaland Public Service Commission (NPSC) or Nagaland Staff Selection Board (NSSB) and that officials responsible for irregular appointments be held accountable.

Highlighting the absence of a government engineering college in the state, the NSF appealed for the upgrade of Khelhoshe Polytechnic Atoizu (KPA) into a full-fledged Government Engineering College by the 2026–27 academic year.

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Also expressing concern over the lack of indigenous representation in Nagaland University and the National Institute of Technology (NIT) at Chümoukedima, the NSF demanded that 80% of teaching and non-teaching positions be reserved for indigenous Nagas.

It cited the provisions of Article 371(A) and the growing unemployment among educated Naga youth as justification for the demand.

Further, the federation called for transparency and accountability through e-Governance, urging all state departments to comply with the government of India’s Guidelines for Indian Government Websites (GIGW).

To address the state’s rising unemployment, the NSF suggested that each MLA sponsor civil service aspirants for UPSC coaching, strengthen skill development programmes, and expand the CM Micro Finance initiative to empower youth through entrepreneurship and vocational training.

Repeal of AFSPA

The federation reiterated its long-standing demand for the repeal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) from all Naga areas, describing the law as a source of “systemic injustice and trauma.”

It also condemned the Centre’s decision to scrap the Free Movement Regime (FMR) and to fence the Indo-Myanmar border, arguing that it would sever ancestral and cultural ties among Naga communities living across the boundary.