Dimapur Naga Students’ Union (DNSU) said it would be collecting data on non-Naga populace of Dimapur district in the interest of Nagas.
The union also submitted a representation to the chief minister, chief secretary and deputy commissioner of Dimapur in this regard. Disclosing this, DNSU in a press release, however, clarified that they were not against any community or communities settled in Dimapur, allaying the fears of non-Naga communities settled in the district.
It assured that there would be no persecution of non-locals, as it wished to live in peace and harmony. The union claimed that Dimapur district was currently controlled by outsiders with 90% of the business under non-indigenous communities.
DNSU said it had appealed the state government to implement the Inner Line Permit (ILP) in Nagaland. The government thereafter extended the ILP to Dimapur district on December 9, 2019, much to the jubilation of the local populace and civil society organisations (CSOs) in the district.
Noting that Dimapur was the only district that was not covered by the ILP since the formation of Nagaland in 1963, leading to unprecedented illegal immigration, the DNSU alleged that there was no effective mechanism to check the influx of illegal immigrants into the district despite assurances from the home minister.
The union pointed out the powers conferred under Section 2 of the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation Act, 1873 empowered the government to extend ILP in the entire state. It claimed that Nagaland was unique in the sense that it was not born out of any accession or merger agreement but came into being because of political necessity although rejected by the majority of Nagas.
According to the union, the ILP was the assurance given by the Central government under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873 that indigenous people were not exploited by non-locals.