NESO and its new office-bearers during the press conference held at Tourist Lodge Dimapur on April 11. (Morung Photo)
Change of guard ceremony for NESO office-bearers held in Dimapur
Morung Express News
Dimapur | April 11
Reiterating its resolution adopted during the November 26, 2022 general conference, the North East Students Organisation (NESO) today urged the Government of India (GOI) to remove the contentious Arms Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from all the North-eastern states where it was still applicable.
Although the organisation welcomed the government’s move in partially lifting the act from several locations of Assam, Manipur and Nagaland earlier in March this year, they stated that total revocation should be the end goal and will continue to fight for it. This was mentioned during a press conference held at the Tourist Lodge, Dimapur on April 11.
The day also marked the change of guard ceremony for its office-bearers hosted by the Naga Students Federation (NSF), after which the NESO team discussed several core issues pertaining to the region.
Led by its Chief Advisor, Dr Samujjal Bhattacharjya, the umbrella organisation representing all the seven NE states, avowed to work for the larger interests of the people of the region and the student community in particular. In regard to AFSPA and specifically the Oting massacre, Bhattacharjya highlighted that the indigenous people of the region have suffered enough through this act and so it must be totally revoked for peace and stability to prevail. For this, he also underscored the importance of resolving the vexed Indo-Naga peace talks in a time-bound manner which should be inclusive of all stake-holders.
On the other hand, the student body expressed its concern over the non-completion of the medical college in Nagaland and appealed the state government to do the needful at the earliest for the benefit of the students.
In reference to the recent controversy over the renaming of 11 places in Arunachal Pradesh (AP) by the Chinese government, he voiced his condemnation of the act and urged the GOI to show its seriousness at protecting the territorial integrity of the state. This includes the matter over Statehood Visa, he said.
On other issues, such as illegal immigration and CAA, he put across that NESO will continue to oppose the act and its implementation. He further demanded that the Inner-Line Permit system should be introduced in all the remaining North-Eastern states and constitutional safeguard be given as well. He mentioned that as Assam, Meghalaya and Tripura states do not come under the purview of ILP it poses a grave threat to the other remaining states due to the ease of inter-border crossings.
With respect to matters concerning the student community, NESO viewed that the NE states should be exempted from the purview of the Common Unity Entrance Test (CUET) due to the limited number of Central universities in the region.
At the same time, they pressed upon the government to set up more technical and non technical institutions along with introduction of more courses.
Among its other core demands included, employment and economic development, to conduct NRC in all the remaining states of the North-East with a specific cut off year, settling of Inter-State border disputes, inclusion of the Kok Borok, Khasi and Garo language in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution among others.
