Demands probe into e-roll based Indigenous claims
DIMAPUR, JUNE 3 (MExN): The Western Sümi Students’ Union (WSSU) has reaffirmed its opposition to the issuance of Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Indigenous Inhabitant Certificates (IIC) to individuals whose parental lineage is not of Sümi Naga origin or those who do not belong to any recognized Naga tribe under the customary and constitutional frameworks of Nagaland.
In a statement issued by WSSU President Ikato Khulu and General Secretary Vitoka N. Rochill, the union expressed “deep concern over several recent instances” of such certificates being issued despite a prior public clarification on April 14, 2025. “The Office of the Western Sümi Students’ Union (WSSU) reiterates its unwavering stand against the issuance of Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Indigenous Certificates to individuals whose parental lineage is not of Sümi Naga origin, or who do not belong to any recognized Naga tribe by origin under the customary and constitutional frameworks of Nagaland,” the statement read.
It cautioned that it “will not remain a silent spectator” and will take necessary actions in coordination with the district administration. It stated that all suspicious cases—including those involving adoption, mixed parentage, and particularly where Sümi Naga women married to non-Sümi individuals have children adopting the maternal surname or attempting to claim ST status through the mother’s lineage—will be “thoroughly reviewed.”
The union directed all such individuals to rectify their official documents in alignment with their paternal lineage, in accordance with Naga customary law, and warned that “failure to comply will result in appropriate action as deemed fit by the Union in consultation with the relevant authorities.”
The WSSU also alleged that many Indigenous Inhabitant Certificates have been issued to non-local individuals “based solely on their inclusion in old Electoral Rolls (e-rolls) of 1963, 1973, and 1979.” It stated that such records are “insufficient evidence to establish genuine bonafide citizenship of Nagaland since its statehood.”
It cited instances where names of applicants’ forefathers appeared in old e-rolls, but the applicants themselves “were born and brought up in other states, only to return and claim Indigenous status in Nagaland based on these outdated documents.” The union said that such practice, “without cross-verifying the applicant's bio-data, origin, and domicile,” was a “grave misuse of the system.”
Declaring such acts to be “systematic exploitation,” the Union urged the authorities to exercise due diligence in thoroughly investigating each applicant's background, lineage, and current domicile status; refrain from issuing certificates purely based on the e-roll lists without substantial supporting documentation; and verify whether such individuals are enjoying “dual identity”—one in Nagaland and another in their respective home states.
The WSSU maintained that “no certificate should be issued without a transparent, evidence-based inquiry, especially in cases that raise doubts about the applicant’s genuineness, origin, or intent.”
Further, the Union alleged that certain individuals from the Naga community in Manipur are also “claiming dual Indigenous benefits, enjoying citizenship in both Manipur and Nagaland.” In this context, it called on the authorities to conduct a comprehensive verification of Indigenous Certificates already issued; and deny issuance to individuals whose Naga origin or permanent residency in Nagaland is doubtful or unproven.
