‘First check fake Indigenous certifications before RIIN’

Dimapur, July 16 (EMN): An organisation has suggested to the authorities that it should first check fake indigenous inhabitants’ certifications before engaging in the proposed Registry of Indigenous Inhabitants of Nagaland (RIIN).

If the government is truly serious about protecting the rights of the Naga indigenous inhabitants of Nagaland, effective implementation of existing laws is necessary and not rashly engaging exercises such as the proposed RIIN. The RIIN is bringing more problems and it will dilute the rights of Naga indigenous inhabitants of Nagaland later, the organisation cautioned in its statement.

The Nagaland Voluntary Consumers’ Organisation (NVCO) issued a press release to the media on Tuesday making the statement.

The organisation suggested “not RIIN” but first check fake Indigenous Inhabitants of Nagaland certificates already issued by the authorities.

In the meantime, the group stated the authorities must effectively implement and enforce the Inner Line Regulation (ILR) in the entire state of Nagaland and protect the rights of indigenous Naga inhabitants of Nagaland as provided by Article 371(A) of the Constitution of India.

‘The NVCO sincerely appeals to the state government not to implement the Register of Indigenous Inhabitants of Nagaland at this stage but the priority should be firstly check the fake/false certificates of indigenous inhabitants of Nagaland already issued by the competent authority…’ the group stated.

Every year on August 9 the International Day of World’s Indigenous People is celebrated in recognition and protection of the rights of indigenous peoples in the world, the press release stated.

The special provision provided to Naga indigenous inhabitants of Nagaland under Article 371 A of the Indian Constitution is ‘highly recognised in the event as nowhere in the world has such special protection as indigenous people.’

One of the provisions of Article 371A of Indian constitution is ownership of land, the NVCO stated.

“The land is the solid part of the earth’s surface. The entire surface of the earth crust within the territory of Nagaland should be owned by the Naga indigenous and not by the non-indigenous inhabitants of Nagaland (The Nagaland and Revenue Regulation Amendment Act, 1978). The Nagas of Nagaland can never allow any agency or policy to dilute the Article 371 A of Indian Constitution,” the press release stated.

‘If the state’s government is truly serious in protecting the rights of Naga indigenous inhabitants of Nagaland then first of all effectively implement the existing laws and do not jump by way of short cut such as RIIN which is bringing more problem and finally it would dilute the rights of Naga indigenous inhabitants of Nagaland,’ the organisation warned.

‘Fake certificates being issued’

The NVCO also dared the government to admit that a lot of certificate of indigenous inhabitants of Nagaland have been issued wrongly.

Here, the organisation cited an instance where a student from a minority community residing in Dimapur, and whose father and mother also were non-Naga could secure the Scheduled Tribe and Certificate of Naga Indigenous Inhabitants of Nagaland, and “approached the court for MBBS seat meant for Naga indigenous inhabitants of Nagaland,” the updates stated.

‘The state government have to admit the fact that the state agency has miserably failed in checking the non-indigenous inhabitants of Nagaland in owning the land within the territory of Nagaland and has also fails in the implementation of Inner Line Regulation of the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873 to the extent that today the non-Nagas and illegal Bangladeshi immigrants had almost controlled the markets in the state,’ the NVCO stated.