Kohima (Nagaland) [India], July 29 : Amid Assam's ongoing eviction drive against illegal settlers in its reserve forests, Nagaland has been placed on high alert due to fears of a possible influx across the state's borders. Director General of Police (DGP) Nagaland, Rupin Sharma, IPS, addressed the situation on Tuesday, detailing the state's approach and urging public cooperation with law enforcement.
Speaking to ANI, Sharma said, "The current issue, which has been flagged by various people and is also known to the state government, is primarily due to the eviction drives carried out by the Assam government and various reserve forests in Assam. He clarified that those being referred to as "illegal immigrants" are, in fact, illegal settlers who had encroached upon reserve forest areas in Assam."
He added, "Their eviction is part of a drive undertaken by the Assam Forest Department and other state agencies, as permanent settlement is not allowed in forest land. The DGP expressed concern that many of these evicted individuals may attempt to enter Nagaland with their belongings, prompting heightened vigilance in the state."
In response to concerns over illegal influx, Sharma said the Nagaland Police have intensified security along the state's border with Assam, where checkpoints have been heightened and patrolling has been established to prevent unauthorised entry.
Maintaining that many individuals attempting to enter Nagaland lack the mandatory Inner Line Permit (ILP), making their entry illegal under state regulations, he emphasised that without verifying nationality, these individuals cannot be labelled as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.
He said that the Nagaland government has issued instructions to the Deputy Commissioners, SPs, and OCs to maintain a heightened vigil, not to allow these people to enter Nagaland.
"On our side, we have increased the presence of the police force and the Indian Reserve Battalion in the bordering areas with Assam to prevent these entries. Besides this, we have directed all the SPs, the SDPOs, OCs, and all the NGOs, non-registered officers, and the Thana staff, even the IRB people and NAP people in the bordering areas with Assam, that they will go to each and every village along the border, meet the village councils, meet the village representatives, and inform the village representatives that undocumented people should not allow to come into Nagaland. People without ILPs should not be allowed to come to Nagaland."
Adding that if anyone tries to come, it should be reported to the district administration as well as the police," Sharma told ANI.
"So, with this heightened vigil, we are very hopeful that not too many people will be able to enter Nagaland without proper documentation or without records."
Also clarifying that illegal immigrants include undocumented foreigners without valid visas, who can be deported. In Nagaland, he said, many suspected immigrants come from Assam or Bengal, but verifying their nationality is difficult. Indian citizens without an Inner Line Permit (ILP) are also considered illegal under local laws. Police have been regularly checking ILPs, and over 2,000 people were asked to obtain them. "If people are not having proper ILPs, it could be because of a variety of reasons. People are not aware of the ILP regime, especially in the Dimapur area, because it's recently been introduced, so we are taking actions on that count also," he added.
He also suggested introducing tenant registration to track the floating population in Nagaland due to various reasons, such as job opportunities or transit, as many people come for short durations but often overstay.
"I think there is a requirement for knowing where people are staying in Nagaland. So, besides the ILP, both the hotels and the landlords need to be a bit careful. I think we should have a system where the landlords in Nagaland need to be much more aware of who is staying in their houses" , and made a request to consider it, as it is not to harm anyone but to have more security for everybody in the society. "If we have a system of registration, I think it is a good point of beginning for the police and the law enforcement agencies and administration in case a crime is committed by a suspicious immigrant or a person who has come from outside. So, besides the ILP, I think this is something that we may consider introducing in our end over a period of time," he added.
Furthermore, the DGP urged the public not to take the law into their own hands when dealing with illegal immigration cases. He emphasised that any suspicions should be reported to the police or district administration to avoid misunderstandings that could escalate into larger issues. Citizens are encouraged to share information with any level of police personnel, from constables to senior officers, and assured that appropriate action will be taken.