Nagas only indigenous people of Nagaland: NSF

Dimapur: The Naga Students' Federation (NSF) asserted that, in its view, only the Nagas qualify as the indigenous people of Nagaland and other Naga-inhabited regions.

Responding to the Rising People’s Party’s (RPP) statement that raised concerns over the exclusion of non-Naga indigenous tribes from the state police recruitment advertisement dated September 30, the Inner Line Regulation Commission (ILRC) of the NSF expressed strong disapproval.

In a release, the ILRC said it was “flabbergasted” by the RPP’s remarks.

The ILRC questioned the RPP, asking it to identify who it referred to as “non-Naga indigenous tribes” in Nagaland.

While acknowledging that other tribes and communities have settled in various Naga areas, the NSF argued that labeling migrants as indigenous undermines the sanctity of communities that have lived on those lands since time immemorial.

The federation emphasized that the United Nations has clearly defined the term “indigenous” to protect the unique status of native peoples in their ancestral lands.

The NSF maintained that no external factor can erode the Nagas' indigeneity to their land, which it described as intrinsic and exclusive to the Naga people.

The NSF supported the Nagaland government’s stance on the issue, calling it “appropriate.” It rejected the RPP’s criticism that the decision "reflected poorly on the policymakers of the state," calling the claim illogical.

According to the NSF, the RPP’s statement only demonstrated ignorance and attempted to dilute the unique identity of the Nagas in their ancestral homeland.

While acknowledging the presence of non-Nagas who arrived in Nagaland before December 1, 1963, the NSF urged the state government to grant them an appropriate legal status.

It also appealed to those individuals, tribes, or communities to register their claims and not be misled by baseless fears, so that newcomers or self-serving individuals do not diminish their rightful place.