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Renewed plea to introduce citizens register in Nagaland

By BHADRA GOGOI

DIMAPUR, Nov 18 - The Joint Committee on Prevention of Illegal Immigrants (JCPI) today renewed its appeal to the Nagaland Government to launch the Register of Indigenous Inhabitants of Nagaland (RIIN) without further delay.

In a representation to Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, JCPI co-convenor Atomi Swu and secretary Tia Longchar said that the cut-off year for enrolment as indigenous inhabitants of Nagaland should be December 1, 1963, on the basis of Nagas by birth. It reiterated that November 21, 1979, when Dimapur was constituted as a tribal belt, would not be accepted as the cut-off year by any means.

�You are well aware of the mess and complication we have in Nagaland today arising out of improper possession of indigenous inhabitant certificate and the only remedy to all these functional hustles is to enforce RIIN in letter and in spirit at the earliest,� the representation said.

The JCPI said as per the directives of the Government, the RIIN Commission headed by Banuo Z Jamir, had completed its studies and submitted the final report to the Government.

It said as the RIIN has to be enacted as a law, the State Cabinet has to approve of the report and place it before the Assembly.

In its earlier representation, the JCPI said special provisions under Article 371A and other protective laws, which include the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation (BEFR), 1873, in Nagaland can be fully realised only when indigenous inhabitants are properly identified.

It also said there cannot be a separate cut-off year for inner line permit (ILP) enforcement in the State as the system came along with Statehood in 1963.

The committee said enforcement of the ILP should be subjected to the status of the inhabitant�s category identified by the RIIN.

According to the committee, the Government took the decision to undertake the RIIN exercise by a notification dated June 29, 2019.

It said pursuant to the decision, the Government conducted a consultative meeting with all political parties, tribal hohos and civil society organisations in Kohima on July 17, 2019, where the majority officially endorsed the Government�s decision.

The State Government held a second consultative meeting on the exercise for creation of the register with various no-Naga tribal bodies and stakeholders in the Chumukedima police complex on July 20, 2019.

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