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DIMAPUR — The Dimapur Naga Students’ Union (DNSU) has appealed to the state government to implement the inner line permit (ILP) regime in Dimapur.
In a press statement, the student union said the government extended the ILP regime to Dimapur district on December 9, 2019, much to the jubilation of the local populace and civil society organisations in the district and noted that Dimapur was the only district not covered by the ILP since the formation of the state in 1963, “leading to unprecedented illegal migration”.
However, it pointed out that there is no effective mechanism to check the influx of illegal immigrants into the district despite assurances from the Home minister.
“The powers conferred under Section 2 of the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation Act 1873 empower the government to extend ILP in the entire state of Nagaland,” it said, adding that Nagaland is unique in the sense that it is not borne out of any ascension/merger agreement but came into being because of political necessity, although “rejected by the majority of the Nagas”.
Stating that the ILP is the assurance given by the then Indian government under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation 1873 that indigenous people are not exploited by non-locals, it said that Dimapur district is currently “controlled by outsiders with 90% of the business under non-indigenous communities”.
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“DNSU wishes to allay the fears of non-Naga communities who are settled in Dimapur that we are not against any community/communities settling in Dimapur. We assure no persecution of any non-locals. We wish to live in peace and harmony,” it maintained.
The DNSU further stated that, in the interest of the Nagas, it would be collecting data on the non-local populace in Dimapur district. In this regard, a representation was also submitted to the chief minister, chief secretary, and the deputy commissioner of Dimapur, it said.