Grave threat to indigenous identity: NSF, NESO demand urgent action against illegal immigration in northeast

The Naga Students’ Federation (NSF), under the aegis of the North East Students’ Organisation (NESO), staged a sit-in protest at Naga Solidarity Park in Kohima on Monday, joining similar demonstrations held simultaneously across seven northeastern states. The coordinated action was aimed at pressing the governments of the region and the Centre to address what the student bodies described as the escalating problem of illegal immigration.

Student leaders, youth, and representatives from various institutions gathered at the site, voicing concerns over the demographic and cultural impact of illegal immigration. The programme was chaired by NESO state coordinator, Ejanthung Ngullie, who reiterated the organisation’s longstanding demand for the implementation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) across the entire Northeast.

“We are here to demand implementation of ILP through proper policy and measures by respective state governments in the seven Northeast states to preserve our culture, heritage and democratic stability,” Ngullie said.

He noted that the ILP is currently enforced only in Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram and Manipur, and described this as “unfortunate.” Ngullie called on the Centre to take serious note of “our concern” regarding the illegal influx of immigrants, warning that demographic shifts could destabilize the region’s social fabric.

He also urged northeastern states to work together to prevent the relocation of migrants from one state to another.

NSF president Medovi Rhi echoed this concern, questioning whether “we are serious about implementation of ILP.” He urged that the state government must act with greater determination. Rhi further stressed that NSF is “not against any Indian citizen but only against illegal immigrants.” He appealed to the Nagaland government not to issue new ILPs to individuals affected by ongoing eviction drives in Assam.

NESO general secretary, Mutsikhoyi Yhobu, warned of long-term threats posed by demographic changes, citing examples from Tripura and Assam. He argued for restoring the ILP system to its original form as a “pass” rather than a “permit,” distinguishing between regulating temporary visitors and tackling illegal immigration. Former NSF general secretary, Elu Ndang, added that the unchecked influx of illegal migrants was “deadlier than diseases like cancer,” warning that the ILP system had been reduced to a business tool rather than a safeguard for indigenous rights.

At the conclusion of the protest, NESO and NSF leaders submitted a memorandum to Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio through Chief Secretary. The memorandum described illegal immigration as “one of the most serious threats to the North East” and stated that repeated appeals to the central government had failed to bring lasting solutions. It warned that “the demographic and cultural changes already visible in parts of the North East are warnings of an existential crisis.”

The memorandum outlined six demands: immediate detection and deportation of illegal immigrants, strict sealing of the Indo-Bangladesh border, enhanced border surveillance with modern technology, stronger inter-state coordination, legal and policy safeguards for indigenous rights and ownership, and the creation of a Special Review Committee to study population growth in vulnerable areas.

According to the student organisations, unless urgent and coordinated measures are taken, the identity, culture, and democratic stability of the indigenous peoples of the Northeast face the risk of irreversible change.

MT