Discussion on CAA dominates Nagaland Legislative Assembly session

Our Correspondent
Kohima, Feb. 8 (EMN): Debate over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), National Register of Citizens (NRC), and Inner Line Permit (ILP), took centre stage on the second day of the fifth session of 13th Nagaland Legislative Assembly on February 8. 

Opposition bench, led by its leader TR Zeliang, sought to pass a resolution against CAA, but was received with a cold shoulder from the ruling bench. Both the ruling and opposition bench extensively argued on the relative merits and demerits of CAA, NRC, and ILP.

Zeliang, while participating in the discussion pertaining to CAB 2016/CAA 2019, maintained that the state was “most vulnerable to the threat of migrants and illegal immigrants” taking over the state’s economy as the indigenous inhabitants of Nagaland, and its hard-working culture that was once the pride of the Nagas was “fading away”. CAA has opened up the floodgates for people to come to the state seeking economic stability, he said.

Attacking the ruling government that it has been ‘flip-flopping’ on the issue of CAA from the start and ‘parroting that the state is protected and safe under ILP and Article 371(A)’, Zeliang claimed that BEFR Act 1873 was not an act of the Parliament or in the Constitution, and further stated that it could be removed, being a regulation of pre-independence India.

“What and where is this Register of Indigenous Inhabitants of Nagaland (RIIN) commission and their result? Was not the month of October 2019 the deadline for it to submit their reports? How long before we can finally get to see the final report and modalities of the same?” asked Zeliang.

He said that the government of the day should take a firm stand and show the public that they care for the posterity of the Nagas; that it will not be overrun by immigrant populace and become a minority in our own state.

While appreciating the government for bringing Dimapur district under the purview of ILP, he also questioned the government how it was planning to go about with strict implementation of the ILP checking system.

He added that a criteria or a system should be in place and streamlined first, and should be made known to the people before the implementation, otherwise random operation without a system would bring more chaos to the society.   

Zeliang went on to state, “as long as our neighbouring state Assam is not protected from the threat of these illegal immigrants, none of the neighbouring states in North East would be safe. As such we should stand together with the state of Assam and find a solution to this menace lest we pay a heavy price for our inaction.”

He also expressed fear that the illegal immigrants would no longer be illegal even without proper documentation and raised concerned that the secular fabric would be destroyed.

He stated that people who are for the CAA want the number of years required for citizenship by naturalisation, from 11 years to five years, and consider the move a humanitarian act, of rescuing those persecuted on religious grounds.

He also questioned the central government’s plans to give citizens to the persecuted minorities of neighbouring countries that was limited to the three countries viz. Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

CAA diverts country’s economic condition

MLA Chotisuh Sazo said that CAA and NRC were brought in to divert the political discourse away from the economic condition of the country. It is an attempt at “disenfranchising and segregating religious groups in line with the ethno-nationalist Hindutva ideology of the BJP”, he added.

According to Kohima Municipal Council report, there were 6668 shops registered in Kohima till August 2019. Out of which, 1720 shops were registered under non-Nagas. However, many non-Nagas have registered their shops in the name of Nagas in running their business, he said.

He went on to say that the Act discriminates based on religion and is against the secular principles of the Constitution, as such, it violates the Preamble of the Indian Constitution.

 MLA Chumben Murry urged for a secret ballot conscience voting to adopt resolution against CAA. He said that one needed to be gravely concerned and wake up to unanimously oppose CAA.

Further discussion on CAA not necessary

Deputy CM Y Patton defended that “after looking into the entire ecosystem of protection provided by Article 371 A and the ILP Regime of BEFR 1873, we (government) were clear that the provisions of the proposed bill, would not be applicable in the state”. Taking all these into consideration, Patton said that further discussion on the issue was not necessary. 

He urged upon the government of India to have wider consultations with all the north-eastern states to ensure that the rights of the indigenous people were fully protected.

With the ILP extended to the entire state including Dimapur, “it (Nagaland) is completely exempted from the applicability and purview of the CAA 2019 and “got covered under Inner Line”, he said.

The implementation of ILP in Dimapur is being done in a “structured and systemic manner”. The government is considering all aspects, guidelines and procedures for issuing ILPs to those who are already settled in Dimapur.  Therefore, “We assure that no Indian Citizen settled in Dimapur will be put to any harassment”, he said.

Nagaland BJP slams Congress

Nagaland BJP President and minister Temjen Imna Along slated the Congress saying they have no other agenda now. “Their legs and their roots are getting out of Northeast, so they are trying to make a desperate comeback into the NE”. 

Saying that CAA issue is “politicised in Assam”, he urged the people in the state not to politicise the issue.

The protection of the Naga people from any act whatsoever, “it is for us to stand for our rights”, Along said. “It is for all of us to sit down together and make a right decision together,” he said. “ILP has been extended to whole of Dimapur which is actually not much in favour by the GoI. But PDA has taken decision in the interest of the people,” the minister added.