Nagaland: Joint Consultative Committee formed for RIIN implementation

Our Correspondent
Kohima, April 16 (EMN): A Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) on Register of Indigenous Inhabitants of Nagaland (RIIN) was formed at the consultative meeting with all the tribal hohos and civil society organisations at the State Banquet Hall, New Chief Minister’s residential complex in Kohima, on Friday.

Addressing a press conference after the meeting, legislators Neiba Kronu and Mmhonlumo Kikon stated that the JCC will be headed by the Home Commissioner of Nagaland; with CNTC, ENPO and TPO as members, as well as to co-opt new members like Nagaland Garo Tribal Council, Kuki Inpi Nagaland and others.

It was informed that Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio delivered the keynote address. Deputy CM Y Patton; Minister for Planning and coordination, Land Revenue and Parliamentary Affairs, Neiba Kronu, Leader of Opposition leader TR Zeliang and representatives of tribal hohos and civil society organisations shared their views and suggestions at the meeting.

Kikon, who is the Advisor IT&C, Science and Technology, NER, said the participants spoke in favour of carrying “Banuo Commission on RIIN” forward.

The commission, which was constituted on July 27, 2019 and headed by former Chief Secretary Banuo Z Jamir, had put forth its recommendations to the government after studying and examining all issues pertaining to the proposed exercise.

It was informed that the government highlighted the salient features of the commission’s report during the meeting and a consensus was arrived at to have a direct communication with tribal councils and hohos, open to discussion and carry forward the next step.

The Home Commissioner will head the committee at the state level and the deputy commissioners will head at the district level, which will be comprised of various tribal hohos.

Stressing on the need to have more consultation on sensitive issue, Kikon said the chief minister had rightly put the entire historical context and emphasised on political wisdom in his keynote address.

When asked why the Joint Committee on Prevention of Illegal Immigrants was not taken on board for the Friday’s meeting, Kikon replied that ‘there were no such specific issues, but it wants to have a deeper consultation and direct engagement with all the tribal hohos’.

He stated that ‘the tribal hohos endorsed the Joint Consultative Committee which was form Friday and they will be part of any further decision in the future’.

“In the past, this type of mechanism was set up because the government was studying the entire issue and we have to go through, because once a sensitive issue like this is not handled properly, there are so many mitigations we might face. So the government in all its wisdom has to go through process properly and now all will be involved to bring out a final shape of the RIIN,” he said.

New land laws in offing

Meanwhile, Kronu maintained that the government cannot have meeting with tribal and apex bodies often, and so they were briefed on political issues, SARFAESI Act, Urban Local Body issues and land reforms, to reduce possible communication gap in future.

Kronu revealed that the government is going bring new land laws and exuded confidence that the participants took it well.

He also maintained that the government has decided to give copies of Banuo’s Commission Report to the representative who attended the meeting so that they can go through and come back for discussion.

We can’t harass citizens — Rio

The chief minister lauded the efforts of NPF party led by Opposition Leader TR Zeliang for vigorously pursuing RIIN with the ruling government leaving aside their differences, according to an update by DIPR.

He said the state has the legitimate right to formulate its own laws and regulations for the interest and protection of its citizens and expressed the need to introduce inner line permit (ILP) in Dimapur district after considering the difficulties and problems as it is a metropolitan city.

“We cannot harass the citizens of any other Indian while working on the system of RIIN or implementing the Act,” he was quoted as saying by DIPR, as he mooted the idea of formulating a law which protects not only the Nagas but also the citizens of other states.

He said identification of indigenous people amongst Nagas of Nagaland is not a problem due to involvement of village council but identification of indigenous Nagas in other states is a problem, citing the examples of Sikkim, Tripura and Assam where the indigenous people have now become a minority in their own states.

NPF with govt. on Naga issue

Zeliang highlighted the progress and current position of the Naga political issue at the meeting.

“It is the ardent prayer and desire of the NPF party to work together with the government of the day when it comes to Naga political issue,” he said; stressed on the need to working together leaving aside party colours on the issue and called upon all the right-thinking citizens including the CSOs to give a concerted effort on the issue.

Patton, who also spoke at the meeting, told the gathering that “the issue of RIIN is to strengthen the entire process for issue of indigenous inhabitant certificate to protect the rights and privileges of indigenous inhabitant of Nagaland”.

On urban local bodies, he said Nagaland government is under the constitutional obligation to adopt the new system of municipalities in accordance with provision of the act, because of which, the Nagaland Municipal Act 2001 came into force.