HT Correspondent
DIMAPUR, May 2: The inner line regulation commission (ILRC) of the Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) on Saturday made a firm demand for the immediate cessation of all benami business practices, including all forms of ‘rent-a-local’ arrangements in Naga areas.
It warned that any entity violating this directive will be subject to public exposure in defence of ‘Naga rights’ and ‘lawful economic order’.
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In a statement, the ILRC expressed serious concern over the continued proliferation of benami business practices, commonly understood as ‘local fronting’, ‘proxy ownership’, or ‘nominee arrangements’, within the Naga areas.
It said that through these practices, non-local people operate commercial establishments under the names of local Naga citizens to circumvent established regulations, which is a direct violation of the legal and customary safeguards that protect Naga land, trade and economic rights.
The ILRC reiterated that such activities undermine not only statutory frameworks, including inner line regulations and trade licensing norms, but also the collective socio-economic security of the Naga people.
It said the NSF has been consistently objecting to and actively campaigning against the menace of benami businesses since the 1990s.
The ILRC noted that despite repeated warnings, representations and public awareness efforts spanning decades, the persistence and in some areas, the expansion of such illegitimate arrangements reflect a blatant disregard for both law and community sentiment.
“This continued defiance necessitates a firmer and more direct course of action,” the statement said.
The ILRC asked all non-Naga individuals presently engaged in any form of benami business practices to stop them immediately. It warned that attempts to exploit legal loopholes or misuse the names and identities of Naga citizens for commercial gain will not be tolerated.
It further warned all local Naga individuals who knowingly enable such arrangements.
As part of its intensified enforcement approach, the ILRC said it will, through its organisational mechanisms and in coordination with relevant authorities where necessary, initiate surprise inspections and spot checks across various commercial sectors to identify and expose benami operations. “These measures are intended not merely as symbolic actions, but as concrete steps toward dismantling entrenched systems of illegal proxy business activity,” it added.
