Agenda before the All Political Parties Committee on ILP
- Part 2 -

Dr. Khomdon Lisam *

ILP Protest : Khwairamband Keithel Phambee Ima at Raj Bhavan and BJP Party Office on August 21 2014 :: Pix - Shankar Khangembam

Lessons from Nagaland

Illegal immigration has been taking place in Nagaland, especially in areas bordering Assam, since the early 1970s or even earlier, but it has picked up since the 1980s. The total population of illegal immigrants in Nagaland are not forthcoming and these estimates vary from 100,000 to 300,000. In 1999, Thuingaleng Muivah, the general secretary of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak-Muivah (NSCNIM), estimated two lakh Bangladeshis in the Dimapur area.

But in 2000, the Union Home Ministry estimated about 75,000 illegal immigrants in the state. In 2003, the Nagaland Government estimated approximately one lakh illegal immigrants who had settled in the foothills of the state bordering Assam. Based on this estimates, we can assume there are at least 1 lakh illegal immigrants in the state. In 2003, the Nagaland chief minister, Neiphiu Rio, publicly acknowledged Assam as being the 'exporter' of illegal immigrants to Nagaland.

The Telegraph, a Kolkata-based daily newspaper, also reported that certain officials of the Guwahati Municipal Corporation were issuing birth certificates for a paltry sum of Rs 200. Terming the report an 'eyeopener', Neiphiu Rio alleged that such rackets were endangering the entire North-East. He also alleged that when Bangladeshis were arrested by the Nagaland Police, they produced documents issued by the Assam government to prove their Indian citizenship. Prospects for better employment and the dislike of the locals for manual labour have significantly contributed to the influx of immigrants, with the immigrants easily finding work, be it in the agricultural fields, in homes, or as rickshaw pullers and manual labourers.

As Nagaland faces a labour shortage, certain sections of Naga society also encouraged immigrants by providing them shelter, land for settlement and cultivation. Local contractors and businessmen also prefer to engage immigrants as they provide cheap and skilled labour. Surprisingly, in the two decades (1981-2001), Nagaland has recorded the highest rate of population growth in the entire country.

Its population growth (Census of India 2001) recorded a sharp rise from 56.08 per cent in 1981-1991 to 64.41 per cent in 1991-2001. The reason why the inner-line permit system has not been effective is that it has been severely misused by the local administration, taking small bribes for allowing non-locals to travel, mostly through the Dimapur-Kohima-Imphal section of National Highway No. 39.

There are also reports of the intermarriages between the immigrants and natives. Some immigrants are desirous of marrying native girls to secure social sanction for their settlement, and this is particularly reported in areas bordering Assam. Some of the organisations even imposed restrictions on native girls marrying immigrants. Talking to the media in Guwahati on August 10, 2003, a student leader from Nagaland stated that the Nagaland Students Federation (NSF) had imposed a ban on Naga girls marrying immigrants from Bangladesh.

He, however, clarified that the ban could not be strictly imposed As a result of rising intermarriage, a community called 'Sumias' has reportedly emerged in the state. According to a report the term 'Sumias' was first reported in the late 1980s by a journalist who conducted an investigation at Niuland in Dimapur district. The 'Sumias' are the children of intermarriage between the Sumi Naga tribe and immigrants.

Right or wrongly, it is even alleged that some Naga girls married immigrants on the impression that the immigrants were hard working. On December 4, 2002, a local politician, Ato Yepthomi, told the media in Guwahati: "These Muslim immigrants settle along the border areas and are engaged in agricultural activities. They are employed in the paddy fields and after staying in the areas for a few years get married to local Sumi girls. And when their offspring are born, they name them after the Sumi tribe".

"There is no denying of the fact, that on any Muslim religious day, at least half of the shops in Kohima and some 75 per cent in Dimapur remain closed. The point is that this is a clear indication of how much the migrants have been able to make an impact on trading." It is also a fact that immigrants, either legal or illegal, are fast gaining access to business establishments across the state. This experience of Nagaland in ILP shows that ILP is not enough to curtail the domination in land acquisition and in business by migrants . We have to take up some proactive actions covering all possible issues.

Lessons from Mizoram

Mizoram is implementing the ILP in letter and spirit. However, the Government is facing difficulty in verification for extension of the validity of the ILP. Mizoram Government is deporting many outsiders without ILP every year. They do not encourage outsiders to open business establishment in Mizoram.

Further, the Mizoram people prefer to buy things from a shop run by Mizo people. Still the Government can not rule out corruption at various levels –issuing Ration cards, Driving Licence, BPL cards,

Why are the Immigrants increasing by leaps and bound in North East states ?

This is our own making . Some of the factors may be :-

(1) Strong Political support -Outsiders /Foreigners treated as Vote Banks by prominent politicians. Our Politicians are very happy in mixing with the outsiders. They are not only vote banks but also financiers. This is the most important and most dangerous factor for which our honourable MLAs and Ministers ( Past and Present) are doing everything possible to satisfy them. In order to prevent this , we need to introduce a system of giving a special Award to those ministers and MLAs who indulged in this work and boycotting them. The Award and the boycott can be declared in absentia after inviting the Awardee . If the Hollywood can give award to the worst film of the year, we may also give such lifetime achievement award to the Honouable members

(2) Politicians' lack of will power and interest in ILP

(3) Corrupt government system leading to easy access to fake Ration cards, Driving Licence, Birth certificates, Domicile Certificates, Voters Card, BPL cards etc.

(4) No means of verification for extension of the validity of the ILP

(5) Local people's aversion to manual jobs creating a void which is filled up by outsiders and lack of work culture.

(6) Benami transactions.

(7) Local people's preference for cheap, hardworking, mild and submissive outsiders as manual workers, labourers, masons,, barbers, cobblers, carpenters, etc who easily adapts to local conditions.

(8) ILP- easily available, encouraging corruption.

(9) Difficulty in follow up and extension of ILP.

To be continued....