Kohima: The ruling Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) of Nagaland has said that the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill (CAB), 2019 will die a natural death, as the problem of illegal immigrants in Nagaland is alarmingly threatening now more than ever and the need to tackle it on a war footing, said a party release issued on Sunday, a day after the NDPP central executive meeting.
Considering this, the NDPP resolved to urge the Peoples Democratic Alliance (PDA) Government to strictly enforce the Inner Line Permit (ILP) system with diligence, unlike administrations under earlier political dispensations, and to streamline entry of illegal immigrants while ensuring that legal citizens of the country are not deprived of constitutional rights in any manner so that they contribute positively to a robust economy of the state.
Regarding Dimapur district, the NDPP agreed that the district of Dimapur has seen unprecedented increase of non-locals and their dominance over economic and business activities whereby local entrepreneurs have been made to suffer.
It therefore resolved to urge the PDA Government to include the foothills into the ambit of ILP, a proposition popularly felt necessary by mass-based social organisations too, in recent times.
The NDPP said the immigrants, legal though they may be, have been indulging in business activities whereby there has been a noticeable drain of resources from the state.
It resolved to urge the government to consider issuing work permits along with strengthening the existing ILP regime to the entire state so as to generate funds which could be utilised meaningfully for the welfare of local youths and keep a stringent check on those who enter or stay in the state.
The meeting also placed on record its appreciation to the NDA government for heeding the sentiments of the Northeastern people of the country and its NDA/NEDA partners as well as the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill and desisting from taking it up in the Rajya Sabha earlier this week.
The NDPP also termed as ‘most timely’ the intervention of Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and his Cabinet colleagues’ with the Union Government on the issue, which the party said ‘shall be remembered fondly by future Naga generations’.
Expressing appreciation to all civil societies who participated in the January 31 consultative meet, the NDPP also extended support to the stand of the civil society organisations’ resolution that Article 371A of the Constitution of India protects the rights and privileges of the citizens of Nagaland from all acts of the parliament unless the Nagaland Legislative Assembly resolves by a resolution.
The NDPP further termed the convergence of all Naga political groups to the negotiating table with the Centre as a clear indication that the aspiration of the Naga people for a permanent and honourable solution to the Naga political problem has been given due regard by all the groups, the release said. (UNI)
