RIIN
Representative photo. Image credit - m.dailyhunt.in

The Joint Committee on Prevention of Illegal Immigrants (JCPI) has served an ultimatum to the Nagaland government to enact necessary law to implement Register Indigenous Inhabitants of Nagaland (RIIN) through an ordinance within March 31, 2021.

JCPI convenor Atomi Swu and secretary Tia Longchar, in a release, said the committee at a consultative meeting with apex tribal bodies and civil society organisations in Dimapur on Friday apprised that an ultimatum was served to chief minister Neiphiu Rio to enact the RIIN and enforce ILP with December 1, 1963, as the cutoff year in the state within March 15, 2020.

However, everything was kept in abeyance due to the outbreak of the Covid19 pandemic, it stated.

The JCPI added that the chief minister was, in an open letter, again urged to pass the Banuo’s Commission report on RIIN during the recently concluded winter session of Nagaland Assembly but no positive outcome had emerged.

The meeting decided to make public the representation served to the government to immediately act on the commission’s report and implement the RIIN within March 31, 2021.

It was also resolved that all the tribal hohos (apex bodies) will submit their representation to the government on the matter through their respective deputy commissioners by organising peaceful protest rally in their respective jurisdiction on March 19.

The committee said each apex tribal body will chalk out their own programme of protest as per their convenience.

The JCPI said it is left with no other option but to resort to different democratic means of protests till the desire of the stakeholders on the issue is achieved.

Bhadra Gogoi is Northeast Now Correspondent in Nagaland. He can be reached at: [email protected]