The Nagaland government on Thursday evening issued an advisory directing all the village, town and municipal authorities to take measures to strictly monitor influx of people from outside the state in violation of the existing rules ahead of the final draft publication of NRC in Assam on July 30.
Stating that any unusual influx of outsiders should be promptly brought to the knowledge of the district administration and police, the four-point advisory, issued by the state home department, said the antecedents of any new incoming tenants should be properly checked and verified by the district administration and police.
All entry points/check gates manned by the police should be strengthened to thwart any influx of illegal immigrants and mobile patrolling in vulnerable locations should be activated in the respective jurisdictions, it stated.
The advisory further said inner line permit regulations should be strengthened with effective monitoring and checking from time to time.
Fearing mass migration of illegal immigrants after the National Register of Citizens (NRC) draft publication in Assam on July 30, the Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) sounded an alert that Nagaland will be swamped by illegal immigrants if the state government and its people do not act now. It also assured to engage itself in spot verification of migrants at entry and exit points in the state.
The NSF has demanded that the government place ‘strict mechanism’ to monitor the entry and exit of migrants while pointing to the possibility of mass migration into the state considering that Assam is preparing the NRC.
In a statement, the federation said Nagaland is already faced with ‘immeasurable’ problems and influx of illegal immigrants for which action is required now.
“With the state of Nagaland currently facing immeasurable problems and influx of illegal immigrants and with the publication of the final draft of National Register of Citizens by the state of Assam, it is being viewed that massive alarming migration of illegal immigrants is bound to happen, if the state government does not take necessary measures to monitor the flow of illegal immigrants,” the statement said.
“The state of Assam is undertaking the exercise of National Register of Citizens to get rid of immigrants who had settled illegally in Assam after the electoral roll of 1971 and in accordance to the Assam Accord, 1985. Illegal migrants posed as the biggest demographic threat to the neighbouring states of Assam and in particular to the state of Nagaland.”
The federation also cautioned citizens, indigenous and non-indigenous alike, not to offer opportunities for illegal immigrations to secure a passage.
It further asked the general public, indigenous and non-indigenous, not to entertain or make effort to create passage for these illegal immigrants. It warned of strict and befitting action against the defaulters.
The federation also asked its units and subordinate organisations to be vigilant and to monitor their respective jurisdiction.
Meanwhile, the state government is considering an NRC enrolment for the state and has taken a decision to take a number of preventive measures against a possible influx of illegal immigrants from Assam.
The state home and police department met recently on the issue. Chairing the meeting, chief secretary Temjen Toy said the state government was contemplating to carry out exercise on enrolment under NRC.
An official release on Wednesday said the Nagaland police are deploying additional forces in the areas bordering Assam to check and prevent influx of the illegal immigrants.
Additional Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) units are also being deployed and flying squads will be sent to the border areas, the release stated. The village councils have been asked to be vigilant and not to allow the illegal immigrants to enter their jurisdictions or to employ them in any manner.
Instructions to deputy commissioners have also been issued to take appropriate measures in this respect and to issue necessary advisories to house owners in the towns to verify the identity of the tenants from the authorities concerned and not to let out their premises to doubtful and suspicious people.