DIMAPUR, JUNE 27 (MExN): A wave of condemnation erupted from several major student bodies in Nagaland over a series of alarming incidents involving physical assaults on local residents and the alleged misuse of indigenous certificates and land rights by non Naga individuals.
The Western Sumi Youth Front (WSYF), Ao Students’ Union Dimapur (ASUD), Dimapur Rengma Students’ Union (DRSU), and Chakhro Angami Kuda Students’ Union (CAKSU) have each issued statements demanding urgent action from the government and law enforcement agencies.
The Ao Students’ Union Dimapur (ASUD), in a press release, condemned what it called a “reprehensible act of physical assault” on a Naga customer by non Naga traders at Murgipatti, Dimapur, on June 26. According to ASUD, Jamir was “brutally manhandled while merely engaging in the everyday act of purchasing vegetables,” an incident the union described as “a direct challenge to the peace and order of Dimapur.”
ASUD said “this is an ultimate ultimatum to all non local traders,” adding that “any further incidents of assault, harassment or exploitation of our local populace will be met with uncompromising and decisive action from the Ao Students’ Union Dimapur.” It said that the action would be “robust and aimed at ensuring justice for the victims and preventing recurrence of such incidents.”
It also called for action from the state government, including Inner Line Permit (ILP) verification and stricter regulatory mechanisms to prevent such incidents.
The Western Sumi Youth Front (WSYF), also reacting strongly to the same incident, accused non-local traders of crossing the line of decency and declared that “our patience is not limitless.” WSYF stated, “Non-local traders have long enjoyed the peace, protection, and prosperity offered by our land… But if this generosity is repaid with violence and disrespect… we will be compelled to take firm and direct action.”
WSYF further referred to previous violent incidents, including the attempted murder of one person in Niuland on March 9, 2024. Another case mentioned was the assault on an auto driver on March 18. WSYF said these repeated offenses have turned the western region into a “hotbed of criminal activity.”
While lauding the Chümoukedima police for swift action in the March 18 case, WSYF demanded the establishment of a police station at Khaghaboto to address persistent law and order issues, citing the area’s vulnerability as a trading transit point and proximity to non-local settlements. WSYF also announced the launch of an “intensive bio-data collection drive of outsiders” in Western Sumi-inhabited areas and called on all its units to remain vigilant. The union appealed to business associations and Chambers of Commerce in Dimapur, Chümoukedima, and Niuland to monitor illegal immigrants and unregistered non-locals.
Meanwhile, in a separate but related matter, the Dimapur Rengma Students’ Union (DRSU) expressed deep alarm over revelations by the Dimapur Naga Students’ Union (DNSU) regarding the alleged fraudulent use of indigenous certificates by non-Naga individuals to acquire land and reserved benefits in the state. DRSU alleged a coordinated operation involving “land mafias” and “unscrupulous local facilitators” aimed at dismantling constitutional protections under Article 371(A).
“This exploitation is not only an attack on the rights and identity of the Naga people, but a dangerous erosion of the laws that safeguard our ancestral land, culture, and political autonomy,” the union stated. DRSU extended full support to DNSU, which is in the process of finalizing and publishing a verified list of accused individuals, and vowed to pursue legal action against the perpetrators.
Similarly, the Chakhro Angami Kuda Students’ Union (CAKSU) expressed solidarity with DNSU and condemned the misuse of documents to falsely claim tribal identity, citing a specific case involving one Nirmal Jain. “Such acts not only undermine the laws of the land but also threaten the inherent rights, ancestral land and identity of the indigenous Naga people,” CAKSU said.
Both DRSU and CAKSU called for stricter verification mechanisms and swift legal action to curb such fraudulent practices, stating that these actions jeopardize the social, legal, and economic balance of Naga society.
