GUWAHATI: A committee formed by the Nagaland government has been directed to come out with a coordinated and comprehensive mechanism to check illegal influx in the state within 15 days.
The committee, headed by the commissioner and secretary to the chief minister, was formed last Saturday following a discussion between the Nagaland Tribes Council (NTC) and the state government.
Speaking to The Shillong Times on Wednesday, NTC secretary (information and publicity), Theja Therieh said the council had a full-bench discussion with the state government following which the committee was constituted.
“As it is, we had urged upon the state government to create a separate cell under the home department to monitor strict enforcement of Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation (BEFR) Act 1873, Foreigners Act and Indian Passport Act on a day to day basis,” Therieh said.
The council, representing 14 Naga tribes and two non-Naga tribes (Kachari and Kuki), was formed in 2013.
“We want the state government to issue a clear notification on the basis of which village councils and urban colonies can keep their respective jurisdiction on round-the-clock vigil. Monitoring and checking influx has to be comprehensive for which the government and civil organisations have to work in tandem,” he said.
Therieh said that the government has agreed to prepare a comprehensive report on the issue and place it before the Cabinet for final approval.
The council had earlier this month moved the Neiphiu Rio-led government to put in place a coordinated and comprehensive mechanism to check influx of migrants in the wake of neighbouring Assam publishing the complete draft National Register of Citizens (NRC) on July 30.
Naga peace process
Asked to comment on the Naga rebel groups agreeing to drop the demand for greater Nagaland and the common understanding reached during the discussions with the Centre, the NTC spokesperson said that the time was not right for either the state government of the civil organisations to give their opinion.
“The talks between the government of India and the negotiating parties are currently active and the people of Nagaland had given their mandate to the groups to take the process forward. Given the present situation, they have to negotiate what is workable. If they come to a certain conclusion that they agree with the government of India, then they will take up the matter with the stakeholders at the appropriate time,” Therieh said.
The NTC had recently met members of 23 civil organisations and the members had resolved to appeal to the Centre and the Naga negotiating parties to expedite the process of negotiation and bring it to logical conclusion at the earliest.
“It has been 21 long years now and about time that the process is brought to its logical conclusion,” he added.