’23k shops in Nagaland; only 6k run by Naga persons’

Our Correspondent
Kohima, May 18 (EMN): The issue of ‘illegal immigrants’ is still as sketchy a topic as it is an onerous problem for Nagaland. There are numbers that might offer a small insight into the magnitude of the problem.
According to a report of the Agriculture department, there are, for instance, a total of 23, 777 shops in Nagaland. Out of which only 6,722 shops are run by ‘locals.’
Even more alarming, according to unverified records, there are about 60, 000 unemployed youths in Nagaland. Interestingly too, there have been issued 60, 000 Inner Line Permits.

While the shops that are not run by ‘locals’ might not necessarily mean they are illegal immigrants, the numbers offer a small insight into the changes on Nagaland’s demographic.

For fear that Nagaland may be “under threat,” particularly ‘demographically’ from the influx of illegal immigrants, and the rise of youth unemployment, the Angami Youth Organisation (AYO) conducted a discourse on said issue.

The discussions were held on May 18 in Kohima. Leaders of Angami frontal organisations engaged in the discourse about ‘demographic threats’ and besides the issue of unemployment and self-employment.

The population of illegal immigrants in Nagaland are estimated to be six lakh or 30% of the total population. However, no official record has been found, said Savi Liegeise, a social worker and one of the resource persons of the day.

According to a report of the Agriculture department, there is a total of 23, 777 shops in Nagaland, out of which 17,055 (71.73%) shops are run by non-locals, while 6,722 shops are run by locals.

The message was that the Naga people were faced with “threats” in all aspects in their political, social, economic, and religious fronts. According to Liegeise, illegal immigrants are “expert” in all sort of criminal activities too. There is a grave danger in giving protection to criminal elements, he warned.

Saying that the society depends upon how government runs the system, he urged the government to strictly enforce relevant laws to stop the influx of illegal immigrants in the state.

Some of the ways he suggested to stopping the influx of illegal immigrants include stopping renting out to them places, stop business partnership with them, and to stop recruiting them into the Naga nationalist organisations, he said.

Further, Liegeise spoke about the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill of 2016. He urged the people to save their culture and people.

Participants from the frontal Angami organisation also pledged to protect their land and culture in the face of the influx of illegal immigrants.

Architect and chairman of the enterprise Zynorique Richard Belho also addressed the event. He said unemployment was a “disease” and that self employment was the “answer” to it which the state needs. In fact, he said, unemployment is a “self-inflicted voluntary threat on demographic threat.”

The Naga people have turned a ‘blind eye’ on the influx of illegal immigrants for a long time. At this juncture, it is time for one to introspect and self-examine in order for the people to survive in this competitive world, Belho said.
There are 60k unemployed youth in Nagaland and 60k Inner Line Permits that have been issued, he said. Among all types of unemployment, ‘voluntary unemployed’ is the highest in the state, he added.

Nagaland is blessed with fertile land, terrain, and climate but ‘we are inflicted with the disease of laziness,’ he said. He advised the participants to fight ‘such weaknesses’ and acknowledge the demographic threat in the society, he said.

‘The main reason for (educated people’s) unemployment is the education itself.’ He felt that the education in the region is a ‘hurried up activity,’ as there is no time to decide what profession one wants to chose. According to Belho, education has become a “handicapped.”

‘We have not really understood the meaning of the dignity of labour.’ He went on to say that he was a master degree holder but was a wood worker as well.

Speaking about the importance of ownership, he said that 20 years of investing in education seemed worthless ‘as we end up doing nothing in conclusion.’ He urged participants to take ownership to address unemployment issues.

Taking example of the Korea and Japan’s culture of good discipline and behaviour, the architect urged the people to have a sort of national commitment. He felt that 95% of people should work and contribute to the government instead of getting from the government.

‘In this age of digital technology, people have wide knowledge but do not have deep knowledge,’ he said. He pointed out that the deficiency of the Naga society is acknowledging any toppers or passed students but not the dropouts or failed students.

Either in issues of successful academics or drop-out students, there is a lot of practical ways to help the high rate of drop-outs, he said.

The school education process will be “re-design,” he confirmed. He was of the view that the value of time and money should be imparted to children at a young age.

Another negative trait of the Naga people is ‘pushing down’ one another, which is becoming rampant, according to Belho. This culture should be change and people should start encouraging one another, he said.

The president of the Angami Youth Organisation, Neinguvotuo Krose, gave the keynote address. He said that the program was initiated to ‘secure the future of the Nagas from threats.’

There is no effective mechanism on the part of the government in regard to an influx of illegal immigrants. Therefore, he said, there was felt a need to educate the people to thwart consequences arises, he said. He added that the AYO was formed ‘specifically to protect the land.’