SN issues clarification on ILP issue

‘Shocked at penalty for reporting ILP defaulters’

Dimapur, August 31 (MExN): Survival Nagaland (SN) today expressed “utter shock” at one of its members being summoned and penalised by a village council for reporting to the administration about the presence of ILP defaulting residents.  

In a rejoinder to the Chungtiayimsen Village Council’s statement that appeared in local dailies on August 25 wherein it claimed there were no “illegal immigrants” residing in the village and that one Talisunep Longkumer who reported the matter to district administration, had admitted to furnishing wrong information, SN in a statement to the media alleged that he was made to “sign a self declaration statement (pre-typed in their own words)” that his report was false and baseless on August 23.  

This was later sent to local media for publication, it added.  

The SN in its statement claimed that on August 22, Talisunep was summoned to Chungtiayimsen Village Council (CVC) on August 22, made to pay a penalty for informing the administration without firstly informing the Council and “made to type message and sent to two SN whatsapp chat groups that the report he made was “reported without valid proof and is now confirmed to be baseless.”  

The SN stated that it has no objection to the Village Council practising their customary law under their village jurisdiction as empowered by Article 371(A). It, however, reminded the CVC of the Village Council Act 1978 which has laid down provision for village administration to deal with offenders under section 15 (1) b, wherein it states "such person should be handed over to the nearest Administrative Officer or police station" and Section15 (1)d, "to inform the presence of strangers, vagabonds or suspects to the nearest Administrative Officer or police station".  

Instead of appreciating him for dutifully reporting the illegal entry and residing without valid documents as per the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873, SN is “dumbstruck and concerned” at the imprudent jurisprudence of the CVC. All this when Village Councils of other North East states are earnestly demanding for the implementation of ILP, it added.

  “Influx of illegal immigrants is a national concern and ILP, a state issue,” SN maintained and listed out the names of what it claimed were 8 ILP defaulters residing in the area.  

SN informed that while the District Administration had intervened upon its request to the Deputy Commissioner, the village council summoned Talisunep on August 22, “defying administration directive”.  

The SN reiterated the allegation that Talisunep was brutally assaulted on August 19 and was also forced to sign a bond of agreement “under duress” compensating the “owner of Rs 9,20,000/- in case the fled labourers (ILP defaulters) fail to report back to work.” In this regard, SN informed that it had lodged an FIR with the police against the assault.  

Taking a serious note on the issue, SN said that it would not rest until “such time the bond is declared null and void” and the person/s responsible for the unlawful action is held and its culpability accounted.  

“The multiple harassments inflicted upon one of our member for no fault of his, is unacceptable and incomprehensible,” SN maintained.

  “Laws are made to protect individuals or groups in a society and discipline the wrong doers. In this case, it seems the law enforcing power has been handed to mistaken keepers,” it opined and further appealed to the Deputy Commissioner, Mokokchung to intervene.  

SN expressed regret over its earlier claim that the village where the incident occurred falls “in an area of Longtho under Mokokchung district” clarifying that the incident occurred not “in Longtho area but beyond it”. “This was an inadvertent error and Survival Nagaland would like to express our deepest regret and tender apology to Longtho Council. It was not the intention of SN to publicly publish any particular village name,” SN stated.  

SN also expressed regret if the incident has caused any inconvenience to the apex Ao Students’ body AKM, which “has been working and preparing on screening the area clean of people residing illegally and without valid documents.”  

“We assure better coordination and hope that AKM and SN will be a combined force in future as the nomenclature of Survival Nagaland itself was extracted with inspiration from Survival Mokokchung” it maintained.  

Further stating that it is high time Nagas – as individuals and groups, especially the law enforcing agencies and other stakeholders in both urban and rural areas – comprehend the “impending threat that the laxity in implementing ILP beckons”, SN urged that the Naga people “foresee with rightful insight to safeguard our land, our future; for our children.”