Expressing serious concern over the number of shops allotted to “outsiders” especially illegal Bangladeshi immigrants (IBIs) at the Naga Shopping Arcade (super-market) Dimapur, Survival Nagaland (SN) movement has questioned the Development Authority of Nagaland (DAN) why and how such a high number of shops were issued to them.
In a press release, received Tuesday, Survival Nagaland’s public relations cell asserted it would be filing an RTI in the coming weeks to find out under whose names and firms those shops and licenses were allotted.
It maintained out that pharmacies, pan-shops, grocers, essential stores etc were all been run by them while Nagas were deprived even of places and spaces to run business in their own land while others enjoy all the benefits.
Stating that new ISBT complex at Purana Bazaar was starting to warm with shops of IBIs, the SN movement asked the NST department to do the needful at the earliest and cancel the allotments and give it to the unemployed Nagas.
Also, expressing concern over alleged issuing of driving licences and number of vehicles licences under Naga names by the Dimapur district transport office, SN stated that it was a “great disadvantage” for all educated unemployed Naga youths who had no money to start even a small business.
Appealing to the Dimapur Municipal Council (DMC) to strictly monitor issuing of trade licences and shop registrations, SN said it would ask for lists of non-locals and locals for a proper census to enlighten all the Nagas.
On the newly constructed shopping complex at the Forest Colony, Dimapur, it said the new complex should be allotted only to genuine unemployed Nagas. SN cautioned that compromising “our future by any individuals, groups or agencies” would be deemed as “selling away our birthright” and “anti-Naga” by the young Naga generation.
Meanwhile, the survival Nagaland has informed student bodies to check the admission of IBI children in schools. It said their number has swelled to around 70% to 80% especially in areas surrounding Dimapur. SN maintained that most of the central funds like SSA, RMSA and other facilities were all being benefited by them instead of under-privileged and deserving Naga children.
SN has also asked the district administrations to properly verify how many ILPs were issued monthly. Querying how many of them overstayed or come again for renewal, SN stressed on proper mechanism to monitor ILP, adding if this was properly implemented Nagaland would never have been swarmed with illegal immigrants, which has endangered “our very existence.” “Our children’s survival now has become a big question as they are openly raped, kidnapped and murdered here in our own land,” it said and called upon every Naga to ponder. The movement underlined that it was high time for Nagas to wake up “before our land is completely devoured by these illegal immigrants.”
Thursday, February 19, 2026