HT Correspondent
DIMAPUR, Aug 12: The Naga Students Federation (NSF) urged the Nagaland government to immediately cancel the inner line permits (ILPs) issued to people from districts in Assam where eviction is ongoing since July 29.
It also demanded retroactive voiding of ILPs issued from that date onward to prevent any loopholes in enforcement.
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In a representation to the chief secretary dated August 11, the NSF said the Assam government initiated its largest eviction drive to date on July 29, targeting over 11,000 bighas of encroached forest land in the Rengma Reserve Forest under Uriamghat area of Golaghat district near the Assam-Nagaland border.
It said the operation, involving thousands of personnel and heavy machinery, has triggered mass displacement, predominantly affecting families from central Assam districts and reportedly of Bengali-speaking Muslim origin.
Given Nagaland’s proximity to the eviction zones, the NSF said, there is a significant risk that the people from these affected districts may seek entry to Nagaland via ILPs, potentially undermining both the ILP regulation’s intent and the security of indigenous communities.
It pointed out that the Nagaland government has already issued advisories to border districts regarding incoming evictees.
The NSF proposed some supporting measures, such as the suspension of new ILP issuance to people from the affected districts until the situation stabilises and comprehensive verification can be established.
It also proposed coordination protocols with the Assam government officials to obtain and share data on displaced people and their declared origins.
It further said regular review should be done by the state government to determine when ILP issuance can safely resume for people of these areas.
According to the NSF, these steps are necessary to uphold the original purpose of the ILP system in protecting Nagaland’s cultural and demographic identity during a period of significant regional disruption.
