Nagaland MLAs urge govt to strengthen enforcement to protect indigenous rights

Kohima, Sep 4 (PTI) Nagaland MLAs on Thursday urged the state government to strengthen enforcement of protective mechanisms and consider creating a dedicated Department of Indigenous Affairs to protect the rights of indigenous communities.

Initiating a discussion in the assembly on 'Safeguarding the Rights of Indigenous Communities', NPF MLA Kuzholuzo (Azo) Nienu flagged the growing threat of illegal immigration, citing recent reports of 200 vehicles carrying undocumented migrants attempting to enter the state from Assam.

"We don't need proof. We see it with our own eyes. They have not only entered but are running businesses, acquiring land, manipulating documents, and even enrolling in electoral rolls with forged papers," he told the House.

Azo cautioned that Nagas risked becoming "strangers in their own homeland" if such trends continued.

He questioned whether the Inner Line Permit (ILP) and the Register of Indigenous Inhabitants of Nagaland (RIIN) were sufficient safeguards, given that RIIN was "hardly implemented".

Referring to the Jokai Declaration of the North East Indigenous People's Forum, he reiterated the call for Indigenous Affairs Departments in all Northeastern states, arguing that this concern must be treated as the central pillar of governance.

Among his proposals, Nienu called for a door-to-door census of undocumented migrants across both urban and rural areas.

The survey, he said, should include colony-wise records of households, trades, shop licenses, and photographic documentation of non-Naga workers, drivers, salesmen, and daily wage earners.

Even floating populations visiting district headquarters should be enumerated, he said while also proposing setting up deportation centres at key border points including Peren, Dimapur, Niuland, Wokha, Mokokchung, Longleng and Mon, backed with modern resources and manpower.

"These tasks require round-the-clock attention," Nienu argued, stressing the need for a Department of Indigenous Affairs to coordinate between state agencies, village councils and civil society.

"Let this day not end with words alone. Let us be remembered as the generation that said 'enough is enough', and gave our today for our children's tomorrow," Azo appealed.

Independent MLA Neisatuo Mero traced the resilience of Nagas to their warrior ancestors but warned of "cultural extinction" if illegal immigration remained unchecked.

Citing the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, he pressed for tighter checks at Dimapur railway station and airport, setting up deportation centres, recruiting more manpower for ILP enforcement, and prioritising indigenous youth in education, skills and entrepreneurship.

LJP (Ram Vilas) MLA Sukhato A Sema said threats came not only from foreign nationals but also from stronger economic forces within India.

He pointed to the displacement of people from Myanmar and Bangladesh, asking, "Do we have a system to ensure such persons are returned, or are we silently allowing infiltration that could alter our land and future?" Backing the proposal for an Indigenous Affairs Directorate, Sema called it "a window and doorway to every department of the government" and suggested a special assembly committee to draft protective laws.

NDPP MLA and Advisor Kekhrielhoulie Yhome highlighted the economic drivers of migration, recalling that Nagaland in 1963 was built largely by outsiders.

He urged the state to adopt international instruments, biodiversity protection frameworks, and stronger community-driven governance, while integrating traditional practices with modern systems.

"Protection is one thing, but understanding the diversity of what we have is equally important," he noted.

Minister and BJP MLA N Jacob Zhimomi, NDPP Advisor KT Sukhalu and NPP MLA Tseilhoutuo Rhutso also participated in the debate with legislators across party lines agreeing on the importance of the issue.

"Nagaland will protect her people, her land, her culture, and her future. This is our solemn duty to the generations yet to come," Sema declared. PTI NBS SOM