Kohima: MLA Kuzholuzo Nienu raised concerns over illegal immigration and its impact on indigenous communities during the Assembly session on Thursday. He questioned whether existing measures such as the Inner Line Permit (ILP) and the Register of Indigenous Inhabitants of Nagaland (RIIN) were adequate to safeguard the interests of indigenous people.
Nienu referred to reports of vehicles carrying illegal immigrants attempting to enter Nagaland and alleged that non-locals had acquired land, property and even managed to enrol themselves in electoral rolls through forged documents. He said that without proper control over land, development, employment and food security would remain uncertain.
He argued that self-determination for indigenous people meant deciding who could enter and settle in their lands, how resources were managed and how communities governed themselves. However, he cautioned that demographic changes and unchecked settlement threatened this balance, warning that indigenous populations risked becoming minorities in their own homeland.
Nienu pointed to experiences in other states and said that silence and inaction could accelerate the decline of indigenous identity. While acknowledging that Nagaland had ILP and RIIN, he stressed that implementation was weak and insufficient to address future challenges.
He also drew attention to the Jokai Declaration adopted by the North East Indigenous People’s Forum earlier this year, which urged state legislatures to establish dedicated Departments for Indigenous Affairs. According to him, such departments would ensure that indigenous rights were treated as a priority in governance.
Among his proposals, Nienu called for a door-to-door census to document the presence of migrants in both urban and rural areas, including details of their trades, businesses, vehicles and employment. He suggested that the census be conducted by the state government in coordination with local bodies and civil society organisations.
He further recommended strengthening police outposts at entry points in districts such as Dimapur, Peren, Nuiland, Wokha, Mokokchung, Longleng and Mon, with facilities such as deportation centres.
Concluding his address, Nienu urged collective action, saying the time had come to take firm steps to protect indigenous identity and rights.
Also read | Environmentalists across India alarmed as Mizoram greenlights Forest Amendment Act