The Rising People’s Party on Friday called on the Chief Minister of Nagaland regarding the issue of “unabated immigration in the state”. During the meeting, RPP also submitted a petition with the subject “Petition with regard to Illegal immigration and points to strengthen the enforcement of ILP.”
In the recent days, the party has been vocal against the appointment of Abdul Kayum Talukdar, Gaon Bura (GB) of New Market, Dimapur and had urged the Government of Nagaland to revoke the “illegal” appointment, stating, “There can be no ‘miya’ GB in the state.”
In Friday’s petition, RPP, in light of the controversy surrounding Talukdar’s appointment, stated that “usage of the term “Gaon Bura” by non-Nagas in Dimapur municipal area is unacceptable” and that in Nagaland, the GBs are the custodians of Naga customary laws and tradition. Therefore, RPP suggested usage of terms such as Marwari Representative or Muslim Representative instead of GB. In Urban Local Bodies, it suggested terms such as “Colony Representative”.
It also maintained, “whether one is representing the Jain, Bihari, Bengali, or the Muslim community, he must be an indigenous person, meaning he or his ancestor must be a pre-1963 inhabitant of the state (with valid documents).”
Rising People’s Party further reiterated its demand for termination of Talukdar as GB of New Market, Dimapur as he is a non-indigenous person since there are no records to show that he or his ancestors had been living in Nagaland since pre-1963.
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It also urged the government to declare null and void all Temporary Residential Permits that violates Home Department’s 1981 notification that stated that TRPs can only be issued to persons who have acquired land post-1963 with the permission of the government, persons holding business licences after 1963 and their heirs and persons residing in the state prior to 1963 or with names in the 5th December electoral roll.
Besides TRPs, the party also said that GBs, particularly in urban areas, cannot be allowed to randomly issue such an important document to non-locals for the purpose of issuance of birth certificates, driving licenses, trade licenses, etc, and that all such documents issued in the last 42 years should be nullified.
RPP further pointed out that non-Naga non-indigenous people residing in the state after 1963 – the category of people who bought land/immovable in the state both prior to and after the declaration of Dimapur as a Tribal Belt in 1979, may be exempted from the ILP regime, however their properties may be taxed. It also advised the government to create a data-base of all properties particularly in the erstwhile district of Dimapur.
“For the non-Naga non-indigenous people residing in the state after 1963 – the category of people without land/immovable property, but with business licenses issued prior to declaration of Dimapur as a Tribal Belt, they and their descendants too may be exempted from the ILP regime” RPP stated.
Moreover, the Rising People’s Party suggested that for the rest of the non-Naga non-indigenous inhabitants without land/immovable property but with business licenses issued only after the declaration of Dimapur as a Tribal Belt in 1979, this category of people must be subject to ILP regime.
For the rest of the floating population all may be subjected to ILP regime.
RPP advised establishment of a Foreigners Tribunal and a separate Department to handle illegal immigration complete with checks at all entry points and digitilisation of records.
Lastly, the party recommended modifying the proposed railway line to Zubza. “Instead of ferrying both passengers and goods from Dimapur sector, only goods may be ferried from Shokhuvi station onwards,” it said.
Rising People’s Party stated that it is imperative to take drastic action to address the issue of illegal immigration in the State before it is too late.
