SHILLONG: The North East Students’ Organisation has intensified its demand for the implementation of the Inner Line Permit across all Northeastern states, calling on the Centre to act decisively on long-standing concerns over indigenous rights and demographic protection.
NESO Chairman Samuel Jyrwa accused the Central Government of lacking the political will to extend the ILP regime to Meghalaya, Assam, and Tripura—states where the issue of safeguarding indigenous identity remains highly sensitive.
Jyrwa sharply criticised the Centre’s preference for the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), terming it a “political injustice” that, according to him, facilitates the influx of outsiders at the cost of indigenous communities.
Beyond the ILP issue, NESO also raised concerns over the integrity of electoral rolls. Jyrwa underscored the need for a robust and transparent mechanism to identify and remove illegal voters, stressing that such measures are essential to uphold the sanctity of democratic processes.
While expressing support for the ongoing efforts to “purify” electoral rolls, NESO cautioned that the exercise must be carried out with complete transparency and not be used as a pretext for ulterior motives. The organisation further urged the Election Commission of India to ensure that similar verification drives are undertaken across the country to eliminate fraudulent entries.
Looking ahead, NESO announced plans to escalate its advocacy following the upcoming elections in Assam. The organisation outlined a broader roadmap that includes a renewed push for ILP implementation across the Northeast and demands for the inclusion of indigenous and regional languages in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.
“If the aspirations of the indigenous people are not fulfilled, decades of struggle and the voices of our citizens will be rendered meaningless,” Jyrwa said, signalling a sustained and intensified movement in the coming months.
