Naga Students Federation Calls for Cancellation of Inner Line Permits Amid Eviction Crisis
Urgent Appeal from Naga Students Federation
Dimapur, Aug 13: The Naga Students Federation (NSF) has urged the government of Nagaland to promptly revoke the inner line permits (ILPs) granted to individuals from Assam districts currently facing eviction since July 29.
The NSF is also advocating for the retroactive cancellation of all ILPs issued after this date to close any enforcement loopholes.
In a letter addressed to the Chief Secretary on August 11, the NSF highlighted that the Assam government has launched an eviction initiative aimed at clearing encroachments on forest land within the Rengma Reserve Forest, located in the Uriamghat area of Golaghat district, near the Assam-Nagaland border. This operation, which involves a large number of personnel and heavy machinery, has resulted in widespread displacement, particularly impacting families from central Assam districts, many of whom are of Bengali-speaking Muslim descent.
Given the geographical closeness of Nagaland to the affected areas, the NSF expressed concerns that individuals from these districts might attempt to enter Nagaland using ILPs. They noted that the Nagaland government has already issued warnings to border districts regarding the influx of evictees.
The NSF has suggested several precautionary measures, including halting the issuance of new ILPs to individuals from the impacted districts until the situation normalizes and thorough verification processes can be implemented. They also proposed collaboration with Assam government officials to gather and exchange information about the displaced individuals and their origins. Furthermore, the NSF emphasized the need for regular assessments by the state government to determine when it would be safe to resume ILP issuance for residents of these areas.
According to the NSF, these actions are crucial to maintain the original intent of the ILP system, which is to safeguard Nagaland's cultural and demographic integrity during this period of significant regional upheaval.