RIIN in government’s court

 Days before the winter session of the 13th Nagaland Legislative Assembly(NLA)from February 12, several organisations led by the Joint Committee on Prevention of Illegal Immigrants(JCPI), under the aegis of Nagaland Tribes Council(NTC)has been insisting on protective laws for indigenous inhabitants. JCPI formed in 2018, had also opposed the CAA. JCPI and scores of tribal and other organisations had been demanding extension of Inner Line Permit under Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation Act 1873 to Dimapur district. It may be also recalled that the state government had issued a notification on November 21, 1979 that declared Dimapur district as a tribal belt. The notification makes it mandatory for “every non-indigenous person” who entered the district after the date of the notification to obtain an ILP within 90 days. In order to implement ILP, it was considered necessary to frame rules and accordingly the government had on July 2019 decided to form the Register of Indigenous Inhabitants of Nagaland(RIIN) and frame rules that would be recommended by the three-member Banuo Z.Jamir Commission. The Commission was to determine who was and who was not an indigenous inhabitant of the state. The Commission was to have submitted the recommendation within three months in 2019. The terms of reference of the commission would be eligibility criteria to be an indigenous inhabitant, authority to authenticate claims of being indigenous, place of registration as indigenous inhabitants and basis of claims of being indigenous. The other terms of reference of the commission are nature of documents that will be acceptable as proof of being indigenous and any other issue relating implementation of the register, including the manner in which the exercise is to be carried out. The commission was to chalk out the modalities for carrying out its work in the manner it deems fit and will have access to all records and documents that may be relevant to the subject. The state government maintained that RIIN was to prevent outsiders from acquiring fake indigenous inhabitant certificates for seeking jobs and be beneficiaries of government schemes. All organisations demanding the enactment of RIIN are also insisting that the cut-off date be December 1,1963 when Nagaland became the 16th state of the Indian Union. However, with regard to Dimapur which was notified as a tribal district only after 16 years of statehood, the issue of RIIN would pose some concerns. However, the state secretary has asserted that rights and properties including land of non-Naga inhabitants of Nagaland before statehood, December 1, 1963 and those before declaration of then Dimapur sub-division under Kohima as a ‘tribal belt’ in 1979 will have to be protected. The official also affirmed that RIIN will first identity the Naga indigenous inhabitants of the state and than other non-Nagas who have settled in Dimapur before 1979 and those settled in other parts of the state before December 1, 1963, the year of Nagaland statehood. JCPI and various other organisations have demanded that RIIN be enacted since the Banuo Commission has reportedly submitted its recommendations. The demand is being supported by all tribes of the state including indigenous inhabitants . The ball is now in the government’s court and it remains to be seen if it will walk the talk.