Cancel ILPs issued to Assam evictees, Naga student body tells Nagaland govt

Dimapur, Aug 13: 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 has been ongoing since July 29.

It also demanded retroactive voiding of ILPs issued from that date onward to prevent any loopholes in enforcement.

In a representation to the Chief Secretary dated August 11, the NSF said that the Assam government initiated an eviction drive targeting to clear encroached forest land in the Rengma Reserve Forest under Uriamghat area of Golaghat district near the Assam-Nagaland border. It said that 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. It also 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 stabilizes and comprehensive verification can be established. It also proposed coordination with the Assam government officials to obtain and share data on displaced people and their declared origins. It further said that 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.

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