Western Sümi Students’ Union warns against misuse of ST, indigenous certificates

DIMAPUR — The Western Sümi Students’ Union (WSSU) has reaffirmed its opposition to the issuance of Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Indigenous Inhabitant Certificates (IICs) to individuals who do not possess Sümi Naga lineage or belong to any recognised Naga tribe under Nagaland’s customary and constitutional frameworks.

In a statement, the union expressed concern over several alleged recent instances and warned that it would not remain a silent spectator and would initiate actions in coordination with the district administration.

It stated that all suspicious cases should be thoroughly reviewed—including those involving adoption, mixed parentage, and particularly where Sümi Naga women married to non-Sümi individuals have children adopting the maternal surname or attempting to claim ST status through the mother’s lineage.

The WSSU directed all such individuals to rectify their official documents in alignment with their paternal lineage, in accordance with Naga customary law, and warned that failure to comply would result in appropriate action as deemed fit by the union in consultation with the relevant authorities.

In addition, the union said that it had found that IICs had reportedly been issued to many non-Naga individuals based solely on their inclusion in old electoral rolls (e-rolls) of 1963, 1973, and 1979.

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The WSSU claimed that such records are insufficient evidence to establish genuine bona fide citizenship of Nagaland since its statehood and alleged that there are cases where names of individuals’ forefathers appear in old e-rolls, but the applicants themselves were born and brought up in other states, only to return and claim Indigenous status in Nagaland based on these documents.

“Issuing IICs under such circumstances without cross-verifying the applicant’s bio-data, origin, and domicile constitutes a grave misuse of the system. The union affirms that such actions amount to systematic exploitation and therefore urges the concerned authorities to exercise due diligence in thoroughly investigating each applicant’s background, lineage, and current domicile status,” it read.

It urged refraining from issuing certificates purely based on the e-roll lists without substantial supporting documentation and to verify whether such individuals are enjoying dual identity—one in Nagaland and another in their respective home states.

The WSSU maintained that no certificate should be issued without a transparent, evidence-based inquiry, especially in cases that raise doubts about the applicant’s genuineness, origin, or intent.

Furthermore, it said that it had come to light that certain individuals from the Naga community in Manipur were also allegedly claiming dual Indigenous benefits, enjoying citizenship in both Manipur and Nagaland. The union called upon the authorities to conduct a comprehensive verification of Indigenous Certificates already issued.

“Deny issuance to individuals whose Naga origin or permanent residency in Nagaland is doubtful or unproven,” it said, adding that the WSSU remains fully committed to safeguarding the identity, rights, and legitimacy of the Sümi Naga community and, more broadly, the sanctity of the Naga identity.