Nagaland: Should not change cut-off date for RIIN, says NTC

Dimapur, Dec. 21 (EMN): The Nagaland Tribes Council (NTC) has reiterated that the there should not be any change in cut-off year and date other than ‘1-12-1963’ for both BEFR Act 1873/ILP and Registration of Indigenous Inhabitant of Nagaland (RIIN).

The council issued a press release on Monday stating that Nagaland become a state out of 16-Point Agreement with effect from 1-12-1963 and for the purpose of identifying indigenous inhabitant of Nagaland there is already laid down cut-off year of “1-12-1963” vide state govt. of Nagaland notification No. AR-8/8/76 dated Kohima the 28th April, 1977.

“The BEFR Act 1873/ILP and RIIN are synonymous and therefore, there cannot be a different date and time of its implementation. There is no going back from the already laid down agreement and notification as aforesaid for the cut-off year as 1-12-1963 to be indigenous inhabitant of Nagaland,” it stated.

According to the council, the casual attitude and negligence of the successive governments, this law has been kept dormant.

“Besides, the unscrupulous people have been taking advantage on the complacency of the state administration by which the land laws are being affected—particularly in Dimapur district—much in detrimental to the very existence of the aboriginal people of the state,” it stated.

Further, the council demanded from the state government that “the draft copy of the RIIN is made known to the indigenous people of the state before it becomes an Act”.