RIIN is against inherent rights of Nagas: NSCN-IM

A day after the Nagaland government's assurance of not taking any hasty decision while preparing the Register of Indigenous Inhabitants of Nagaland (RIIN), the NSCN-IM has alleged the state's move to implement RIIN is "contradictory" to the inherent rights of the Nagas. "It is politically motivated to suit the interest of the groups advocating for the '16-Point Agreement'. The Nagaland state does not and will not represent the national decision of the Naga people. It was formed purely to divide the Nagas," the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah) said in a statement on Friday.

The NSCN-IM said all Nagas are indigenous in their ancestral homeland, which is contiguous. It is the "legitimate right" and a political decision of the Naga people to live together under one political roof, it claimed.

On Thursday, the Nagaland government had said it would not take any decision that is discriminatory or goes against the interests of the people or any community while preparing the RIIN. Home Commissioner, Nagaland, R Ramakhrishnan had said the government assured the people of the state that it would not take any hasty decision.

The NSCN-IM further said nothing is conclusive on the Naga issue, until and unless a mutually agreed honourable political solution is signed between the two entities. Therefore, any attempt to dilute the final political settlement by justifying any past accord of treasons should be seriously viewed by all Nagas, it said.

Integration of all Naga territories is officially acknowledged by the central government as the legitimate right of the Nagas, except by a few treacherous opportunists who are opposed to it, the NSCN-IM statement claimed. "All Nagas, wherever they are, are indigenous in their land by virtue of their common history. We uphold this principle to the last and it should not be distorted by anyone under any circumstances," it added.

The Nagaland government started the process of preparing a register of all indigenous inhabitants of the northeastern state from July 10. On June 29, Ramakhrishnan had issued a notification stating that the exercise would be concluded within 60 days.

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