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DIMAPUR — The Global Naga Forum (GNF) on Wednesday expressed concerns about the implementation of the Register of Indigenous Inhabitants of Nagaland (RIIN), stating that it would have “unintended consequences” that could divide the Naga people and undermine their rights.
While acknowledging that the state government introduced RIIN with the aim of protecting indigenous land and employment rights, the GNF argued that it would ultimately fail to address the root causes of illegal immigration and unregulated influx. “In the long run, the RIIN would create a situation where as more and more Nagas in Nagaland were issued indigenous resident cards, which entitled them to compete with one another for relatively fewer and fewer government jobs, the uncontrolled levels of illegal immigration and influx also continued to grow,” the GNF statement read.
“In this scenario, indigenous resident cards in the hands of Nagas would be about as useful as someone brandishing a certificate of birth in a house whose ownership has changed hands and is occupied by someone else. The point to mark here is that, over time, the RIIN will end up favouring the limited interests of some individuals while failing to safeguard the indigenous rights of the Naga people in their own homeland,” it said.
The GNF warned that the RIIN would create “deeper divisions among the Nagas,” potentially leading to “irreconcilable differences”, as the administrative mechanism could create a situation where “Nagas exclude Nagas from one another’s lands and regions.”
“It is certain to drive a wedge between Nagas of Nagaland and Nagas from other states and regions. With a mechanism like that in hand, the Nagaland government would in effect be acting most irresponsibly. It will be giving its official approval to the politically-motivated divisions of the Nagas on the basis of states and regions of residence, and will make permanent the physical breakup of the Naga ancestral homeland into parts of competing Indian states.
“Not only that, the RIIN will widen the distinctions among Nagas even further by helping foment more ideological antagonisms and psychological distance”, it maintained.
The forum went on to state that the consequences of the RIIN would align with the “long-running Indian strategy of fragmenting Naga solidarity”, especially at a time when the Nagaland government ought to be bringing the Nagas together for an inclusive and lasting political settlement with the Government of India.
Furthermore, it highlighted the contradiction between the current state government’s stance and past resolutions passed by the Nagaland legislative Assembly in favour of Naga integration, presumably following Point 13 of the 16-Point Agreement, which states that “The other Naga tribes inhabiting the areas contiguous to the present Nagaland be allowed to join the Nagaland if they so desire.”
“The Naga public are left to wonder, then, if the current opposition-less Nagaland Legislative Assembly and Government are in conflict with their preceding counterparts or with Point 13, or are morally self-conflicted,” it said.
The GNF also criticised the latest consultative meeting on the Naga political issue, convened on Sep. 12 by the Political Affairs Committee (PAC), for its perceived lack of inclusivity, stating that it “left out some of the key stakeholders.” The implementation of RIIN, “which risks undermining the very fabric of Naga peoplehood,” coupled with the exclusionary approach to consultations, necessitates serious introspection by the current NLA and government, it said.
Emphasising that the Naga struggle for freedom was never against India, Myanmar, or any neighbouring nation, it asserted that the movement is “a struggle—yet to be fulfilled—for the legitimate human right of the Nagas to determine for themselves how to live together and grow as a people in their ancestral homeland,” and live together without external interference or the imposition of oppressive laws like the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act.
While governments and parties come and go, the rights and aspirations of a people endure, the GNF said, urging “Naga leaders, starting with the Nagaland government, to reflect on the legacy they are leaving behind. Naga history will inevitably record if the current government and legislators are prioritising their short-term personal and political gains over the broader Naga people’s cause.”
This call for responsible leadership, the GNF stressed, extends to all Naga political groups (NPGs) and civil society organisations (CSOs).
Further, it called on Naga leaders across the political, regional, and tribal divides to prioritise policies and strategies that unite the Naga people and to work towards a lasting political settlement with the Government of India that served the common good of all Nagas.