NSF joins NESO’s demand for eviction of illegal immigrants from North East

Kohima, Aug 18 (PTI) The Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) on Monday joined the rest of the students’ groups in the North East, staging a sit-in demanding eviction of illegal immigrants from the region.

The demonstration was held under the banner of the North East Students’ Organisation (NESO), the apex students' and youth's body, of the region, at Naga Solidarity Park here.

It witnessed the participation of students from various educational institutions and leaders of NSF and NESO.

As part of the protest, NESO general secretary Mutsikhoyo Yhobu and NSF president Medovi Rhi submitted a memorandum to Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio through the Chief Secretary Sentiyanger Imchen, raising serious concerns over the issue of illegal immigration in the region.

In the memorandum, they described illegal migration as one of the gravest threats to the socio-cultural fabric, demographic balance, and political stability of the region.

“Today, the problem has only deepened and Assam is witnessing radical change in its demographic structure,” the memorandum claimed, adding that the issue has also spilled over into other parts of the region.

It also claimed that the problem persists in Tripura and Meghalaya as well for long.

The organisations stressed that despite repeated appeals, the central government has failed to take comprehensive and long-term measures.

They urged both the Centre and the states to treat the matter with urgency, warning that the identity, culture, and very existence of indigenous peoples in the North East were at stake.

They demanded immediate detection and deportation of illegal migrants while also sealing of the Indo-Bangladesh border.

They stressed on strengthening border control with modern surveillance and adequate security deployment and also developing inter-state coordination to prevent relocation of migrants within the region.

They suggested that appropriate legal safeguards and policy measures be brought about to preserve and protect indigenous rights, culture, language, political and land ownership.

The NESO and NSF demanded formation of a Special Review Committee to address popultion explosion in vulnerable areas.

“The demographic and cultural changes already visible in parts of our region are warnings of an existential crisis. If strong and sustained measures are not taken now, the very identity of the North East’s indigenous peoples could be irreversibly altered,” they maintained. PTI NBS NN