Ukhrul, October 9: The Rising People’s Party (RPP) has welcomed the state government’s clarification affirming that the Kachari, Kuki, Garo, and Mikir tribes are indigenous to Nagaland and are entitled to obtain Scheduled Tribe (ST) certificates and Indigenous Inhabitant Certificates (IICs). The government also confirmed that 24 police constable posts are reserved for these non-Naga indigenous tribes of the state.
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Following the clarification, the RPP questioned the Inner Line Regulation Commission (ILRC) of the Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) over its earlier statement that “Nagas are the only indigenous people of Nagaland.” The party accused the ILRC of “arrogance” for reportedly labelling the four non-Naga tribes as “migrants.”
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the RPP condemned what it described as the “jingoistic stand” of the ILRC and urged the NSF to nullify the commission’s previous statement. The party asserted that the ILRC, being a committee under the NSF tasked with monitoring the implementation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) in the state, had “created confusion” and “portrayed Nagas in a bad light.”
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The RPP further said that the attempt to “thrash the RPP on a non-issue in the print media” amounted to a “publicity-seeking exercise.”