The NSCN (I-M) on Saturday said the Nagaland government’s decision to implement the Register of Indigenous Inhabitants of Nagaland (RIIN) is “contradictory to the inherent rights of Nagas”.
“All Nagas are indigenous in their ancestral homeland, which is contiguous. It is the legitimate right and political decision of the Naga people to live together under one political roof,” the ministry of information and publicity of the outfit said in a statement.
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The outfit said the move to introduce RIIN was “politically motivated” to suit the interest of the groups advocating the 16-Point Agreement which led to the creation of the Nagaland state.
The statement said Nagaland state did not and would not represent the “national decision” of the Naga people as the state was formed purely to divide the Nagas.
“All Nagas, wherever they are, are indigenous in their land by the virtue of their common history. We uphold this principle to the last and it should not be distorted by anyone under any circumstances,” the NSCN (IM) said.
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The outfit said the Nagas do not and would not accept any division by “imposed artificial state” and international boundaries.
This is the key focus of all the Nagas and any political steps to be taken must be in conjunction with this decision, it asserted.
The NSCN (IM) maintained that the government of India officially acknowledged the integration of all Naga territories as the legitimate right of the Nagas except by a few “treacherous opportunists” who are opposed to it.
It said nothing is conclusive on the Naga issue until and unless a mutually agreed honourable political solution is signed between the two entities (Centre and NSCN). Therefore, it said, any attempt to dilute the final political settlement by justifying any past accord of treason should be seriously viewed by all the Nagas.
The Nagaland government on Thursday put on hold its June 29 decision to prepare the RIIN following opposition and apprehension over the exercise by some leading Naga organisations such as Naga Students Federation, Naga Hoho and Angami Public Organisation.
Home commissioner R Ramakrishnan, in a release, said the state government is of the clear opinion that the present exercises are new initiatives and need consultations and deliberations with participation from all sections and stakeholders.
Nagaland chief secretary Temjen Toy issued a notification on June 29 for preparing the RIIN. The preparation of registry should be completed within 60 days with effect from July 10, the notification said.
“The RIIN will be the master list of all Indigenous Inhabitants of Nagaland,” it said.
It was also aimed at preventing the issuance of fake Indigenous inhabitant certificates.