The Joint Committee for Prevention of Illegal Immigrants (JCPI) raised questions over Nagaland governor RN Ravi’s statement in his address on the first day of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly recently.
Committee convenor K Ghokheto Chopi and secretary Tia Longchar said the mention of November 21, 1979, as the cut-off date to make a distinction between the non-indigenous people settled in Dimapur is unacceptable and premature.
In a statement on Wednesday, the committee refused to accept the cut-off date, as mentioned by Nagaland governor RN Ravi because the Banuo’s Commission on Register of Indigenous Inhabitants of Nagaland (RIIN) is yet to officially submit its report.
The committee made it clear that it would not compromise on the cut-off date – December 1, 1963 – and accept no other date for listing the indigenous inhabitants in the state.
It said it at a meeting with all tribal apex bodies and civil society organisations on December 18 last year decided to reject the concept of the Citizenship Amendment Act for all times to come.
The meeting passed a resolution against two cut-off dates with regards to the coverage of inner line permit (ILP) under Dimapur as Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation 1873 naturally came into effect with the creation of Nagaland state on December 1, 1963, which would be non-negotiable, the statement said.
It was also resolved to serve an ultimatum to the government to submit the final report on RIIN commission before January 31 this year and issuance of the final notification by February 29.
The committee alleged that the domicile certificates and the certification of non-Naga indigenous people have been thoroughly misused and sold to any Indian citizens willing to pay “certain price”.
“This itself exposes the nexus within the government and unscrupulous elements taking undue advantage of lacunae in the government system and set up,” the committee said.
It called for an immediate total halt and revamp of this system to strengthen the ILP implementation all over the state to make it effective and transparent.