Nagaland govt certain about RIIN implementation, says CM Neiphiu Rio
Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio informed that the process of implementing the Register of Indigenous Inhabitants of Nagaland (RIIN) was held up due to delay in discussions with the civil society organisations because of the pandemic.
In response to the queries of opposition leader T R Zeliang and MLA Kuzholuzo Nienu on Tuesday, the chief minister said that the Nagaland government is serious about RIIN implementation.
He affirmed that indigenous Naga people would not be deprived of their rights if RIIN is implemented as the indigenous certificate issued by the respective village councils of their native village will prove one's identity.
Garos, Kukis, Kacharis, Mikhirs (Karbis) will also get their identity, he added.
It may be mentioned that the government had earlier said that only those whose names figure in the RIIN will be issued indigenous inhabitant certificates and all other certificates would become invalid after the final register is ready.
On Zeliang's query, if the Government had some hidden agenda in not providing the Bano Commission's report, CM Rio said that the Government was not hiding any report and would be presenting the Bano commission's report in the assembly for discussion after proper consultations with the tribal bodies and civil societies.
In 2019, the state government had said that the RIIN, a register of all the indigenous inhabitants of Nagaland, is required to prevent the issuance of indigenous inhabitant certificates to ineligible persons.
According to a notification issued on June 29, 2019, the state government mentioned that the RIIN will help identify the citizens who settled in Nagaland before December 1, 1963, the day it became a full-fledged state.
"But we may have to give non-Naga indigenous certificates to those non-Naga inhabitants who have come before statehood and residential certificate or domicile to those coming for business and investment in the State," he said.
(Edited by Aparmita Das)
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