Naga Students’ Federation and Inner Line Regulation Commission have urged the state to cancel and pause Inner Line Permits for people from specific Assam districts tied to fresh eviction drives, warning of spillover risks and calling for tighter checks at the border.
What prompted the demand
Assam began what officials called its largest eviction operation on 29 July 2025, clearing more than 11,000 bighas of encroached land in the Rengma Reserve Forest at Uriamghat in Golaghat district, near the Nagaland border.
The drive, using thousands of personnel and heavy machinery, has displaced many families, mainly from central Assam districts and reportedly of Bengali-speaking Muslim origin. Fears have risen in Nagaland that displaced people may attempt entry using ILPs.
Nagaland authorities have already stepped up checks after the Assam action, issuing advisories to districts and highlighting risks of inflow without proper documents.
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Local bodies and student groups in border areas have pressed for vigilance and increased patrols to block unauthorised entry. These moves reflect worries over quick, undocumented movement across a porous frontier during a period of upheaval.
What the NSF and ILRC want
In a letter to the Nagaland Chief Secretary, the NSF and ILRC sought immediate cancellation of all ILPs issued to people from the affected Assam districts since 29 July 2025. They also asked the state to retroactively void permits granted from that date to close enforcement gaps and to suspend new ILPs for those districts until conditions stabilise and verification improves. To guide decisions, they proposed joint protocols with Assam to share data on displaced persons and their stated origins.
The organisations recommended regular government reviews to determine when ILP issuance can safely resume under comprehensive checks. Framing the measures as essential to protecting Nagaland’s cultural and demographic balance during regional disruption, they offered help with awareness drives, verification efforts, and community coordination.
Their stance aligns with earlier alerts in Nagaland, where police increased deployments and warned that entry without valid documents would face stricter scrutiny at the Assam–Nagaland boundary.
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How authorities and communities are responding
Nagaland’s police chief has emphasised that many evicted settlers from Assam’s reserve forests are not by default “illegal immigrants,” calling for careful verification alongside firm border controls and staffed checkposts.
District administrations and civil groups in border zones have urged residents, village councils, and youth organisations to report suspicious movements and avoid sheltering undocumented entrants.
The NSF and ILRC memorandum adds a policy-focused layer to on-the-ground vigilance: targeted cancellation and suspension of ILPs for districts linked to the eviction operation, structured data-sharing with Assam, and a phased restart based on periodic review.
The signatories said they are ready to support the state in rolling out the protocols so enforcement remains both effective and fair as the situation unfolds.
