Naga People’s Front (NPF) president Dr Shürhozelie Liezietsu on Monday put forth his suggestions on how the Register of Indigenous Inhabitants of Nagaland (RIIN) can be prepared and implemented.
The decision of the Nagaland government to have the RIIN would be laudable if it can be prepared in its pure form, Liezietsu said in a release.
He also pointed out to the apprehensions of various organisations and individuals that the RIIN may do more harm than good to the future generation if it is not done correctly, as the successive governments in Nagaland are blamed for failure to implement the inner-line permit (ILP) regulations.
“We must admit that we have been failing miserably to check illegal immigrants, main reason for it may be attributed to the failure of the implementing agencies at various stages even if the government may have the determination to implement it strictly,” the NPF chief said.
He said the apprehensions of the stakeholders may prove right if the preparation and implementation system of RIIN are not strictly laid down first before the exercise starts.
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“Since the decision is good, why not we make it simpler and see that the register is prepared without implicating it with any other rules or regulations at the moment,” he suggested.
Liezietsu pointed out that the Nagas have very close attachment with their ancestral villages wherever they are and that the family, clan and community system in the villages are still highly revered by one and all.
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He believed that the RIIN can best be prepared in its purest form within a short period of time by the Naga villages.
“There is no point for the Nagas from other areas other than the Nagaland state to have any doubt or fear for it,” said Liezietsu.
“Nagas villages, wherever it may be, can take up this exercise for its own record any time even without directive from elsewhere if the village authorities so decide,” he added.
He stressed that the state government should trust its own people in that this exercise can be done satisfactorily only by the indigenous citizens of Nagaland themselves.
Liezietsu said the state government can authorise the village authorities/councils to carry out the exercise of preparing the register within the timeframe.
If that authorisation is given with clear instructions, the village authorities can arrange the rest by themselves within their jurisdiction, he said.
According to Liezietsu, the villages can fix their own time for their citizens to come together to register their names.
He also emphasised on the role of the students on the matter as important even as the village authorities can take the initiative.
The NPF chief said the student organisations are the only ones fighting against illegal immigration.
Towards this end, Liezietsu said, the Naga Students’ Federation and the Eastern Naga Students’ Federation should issue uniform directive to their district, village units.
He said the government, after completion of the exercise, can apply its mind when and where or in what sense the register can be of use to protect the interest of the people.
The veteran politician further said the government should also work out how to protect the permanent settlers of Nagaland in reference to the electoral roll of 1963.
He suggested that the government must ensure protection of the interest of the minority groups in Nagaland in the best possible manner.