Joint Committee on Prevention of Illegal immigration (JCPI) has served an ultimatum on chief minister to issue notification on RIIN based on Banuo commission’s report with 1963 as the cut-off year, physical implementation of BEFR, 1873 based on Abhishek committee’s report on ILP, revocation of 1979 as cut-off year under BEFR, 1873 and establishment of Foreigners Tribunals under the Foreigners’ Act, 1946.
In a representation to the chief minister, JCPI set March 15, 2020 as the deadline to fulfil its demands, failing which it warned that it would be compelled to resort to any democratic means of protest to restore “our inherent rights and privileges”. JCPI appreciated Rio for his prompt decision to enumerate indigenous inhabitants of Nagaland under RIIN and for constituting a commission lead by Banuo Z Jamir, which had completed ground studies in 2019 but could not submit its final report till date.
It also reiterated its demand that January 31, 2020 should be the last date for submission of the commission’s final report and February 29, 2020 as the last date for final notification.
JCPI maintained that special provisions of Art. 371(A) and other protective laws, which include effective enforcement of BEFR, 1873 in Nagaland including Dimapur district, could be fully realized only when indigenous inhabitants were properly identified. It also welcomed the State government’s decision to bring Dimapur district under the ambit of ILP regime and to work out a comprehensive mechanism and operational guidelines based on Abhishek Committee’s report, but regretted that the government could not till date put a system in place for total implementation of ILP based on the committee’s report for effective enforcement.
The committee further expressed its total dismay as to how the government had arbitrarily chosen to introduce 1979 as the cut-off year. As the ILP came along with statehood in 1963, there cannot be a separate cut-off year for ILP enforcement in the State. However, ILP enforcement should be subjected to the status of inhabitant’s category as identified by RIIN, the representation emphasised.
JCPI urged the government as the mandated authority to constitute sufficient number of tribunals under the Foreigners’ (Tribunals) Order, 1964 to effectively curb and deport illegal infiltrators.
The representation was signed by the committee’s convener K Ghokheto Chophy and secretary Tia Longchar.