DIMAPUR, Aug 11 - Nagaland Governor PB Acharya has underscored the need for a strong mechanism to check influx of illegal immigrants into the State in the aftermath of the publication of the final draft of the NRC in Assam on July 30.
Acharya also called for a robust inner line permit system in the State. He was addressing editors and reporters at the Raj Bhavan in Kohima on Friday evening.
Noting that the existing inner line permit system is not working properly, the Governor said the issue of illegal migration has to be tackled carefully. He also exhorted the Nagaland-based newspapers to play a �dominant and pivotal role� in changing the mindset of the Naga people.
A strong media, he said, is needed for a healthy democracy. �To strengthen democracy, we need to have a strong media; it is the most essential part of democracy.�
According to Acharya, people outside think of Nagaland as an insurgency-hit State, which is �anti-India�. He pointed out that Nagaland, on the other hand, had supplied 3,000 men to various security forces in the country.
Referring to the floods and landslides in the State, Acharya said the Government machinery had been making all-out efforts to restore damaged infrastructure, besides providing relief and rehabilitation.
He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had been apprised of the current situation in the State. He was requested to extend all possible help to the State to overcome the disaster, Acharya added.
The Governor appreciated the contributions made towards the Chief Minister�s Relief Fund to deal with the flood situation. He appreciated the MLAs for contributing their one month�s salaries towards the fund, while appealing to the citizens of the State to donate generously towards the fund.
Acharya said that he had donated Rs 1 lakh from his salary on his part, besides arranging essential commodities for the needy people in Kiphire district.
Aadi Mahotsav: The Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Ltd (TRIFED) under the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs has been holding a 10-day Aadi Mahotsav at Shree Durga Mandir Hall in Dimapur since Friday to promote tribal handicraft and handloom products of the North Eastern region.
Tribal artisans from five NE States including Assam, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland have put up stalls with varieties of handicraft and handloom products in the exhibition-cum-sale festival.
The festival was inaugurated by Nagaland State Cooperative Marketing and Consumers� Federation Ltd managing director Vikeoto Zhimo.
Addressing the inaugural programme, Zhimo hoped that the first-of-its-kind festival in Nagaland would not only help in promoting handloom and handicraft products of the tribal people of the North East but would also facilitate in their marketing outside the region. This will help the artisans to earn their livelihood, he added.
Later, addressing a press conference at the venue, the Regional Manager of TRIFED, Guwahati, MR Singh said the Aadi Mahotsav was being organised in Dimapur to bring all the tribal artisans of the North East under one platform to promote their products outside the region.
He pointed out that tribal handloom and handicraft products of the region have a high demand in other parts of the country. The tribal artisans of the region are not aware of the value of their products, he added.
Singh said the TRIFED would purchase the products displayed at the festival for sale in its 64 showrooms spread across the country.
