DIMAPUR — The Association of Indigenous Minority Tribes of Nagaland (AIMTN) has objected to Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio’s reported description of the Kuki, Kachari, Garo and Mikir communities in Nagaland as “migrants”, stating that the remark was contrary to historical facts.

In a press statement on Friday, the AIMTN said the chief minister’s remark, published in local print and electronic media on November 1, had raised concerns over the indigenous status of the four tribes.

The association stated that these tribes had been present in the present-day Nagaland before the arrival of the British and much before the creation of the state. It said describing them as migrants amounted to a distortion of history.

The AIMTN further stated that the chief minister had made similar remarks in the past and expressed concern that the historical facts concerning the four tribes could be distorted or rewritten.

It also referred to clarifications and statements issued previously, in line with various state and central government orders, which list the indigenous tribes of Nagaland and specify the eligibility criteria for indigenous status.

The association urged the chief minister to avoid making such statements in the future, stating that remarks which could create a negative impression about the history of the indigenous people of the state should be avoided.

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