Nagaland Prepares for Incoming Evictees from Assam

Quick summary:

• Tribe-based student organizations in Nagaland have raised concerns about an influx of individuals evicted from Assam’s government lands.
• Assam’s BJP-led government has been conducting eviction drives since June 2025, removing about 50,000 illegal settlers, predominantly Bengali-speaking Muslims with Bangladeshi origins.
• Specific focus is on a forested stretch at Uriamghat in Golaghat district bordering Nagaland, where surveys adn evictions have led to the departure of settlers near the state border.
• On July 23, the Konyak Students’ Union instructed its federating units in Mon district along the Assam border to deploy 100 volunteers daily at points of entry to check documentation and Inner-Line Permits (ILP).
• ILPs are temporary travel documents required for visiting certain protected states like Nagaland under legislation from 1873.
• Unauthorized entrants without valid documents will be sent back; the students’ body has requested that ILP issuance be paused for one month to ensure proper screenings.
• Other Naga tribal student groups-Sümi (Chumoukedima and Dimapur districts), Lotha (Wokha district), and Ao (Mokokchung district)-have also expressed similar concerns over potential illegal immigration from bordering regions of Assam following eviction drives.
• Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma reported reclaiming over 1.29 lakh bighas of encroached land since 2021. The eviction drive continues despite resistance; one person died in Goalpara during clashes related to land reclamations.

Indian Opinion Analysis:

the ongoing eviction drives in Assam have triggered broader regional anxieties about controlling population movements across state borders. Concerns voiced by Naga student associations reflect underlying demographic pressures tied to migration trends-a sensitive issue given NE India’s cultural diversity and land-protection policies such as ILPs. Their calls for stricter enforcement underscore fears surrounding indigenous rights and territorial integrity but also raise logistical challenges for local governments.

At stake is not just legal compliance but ensuring harmony between neighboring states facing cross-border issues arising from displacement. While measures like halting ILP issuance temporarily offer scrutiny opportunities, coordination between Indian states would likely enhance mutual trust on complex matters like migration governance arising after disruptive policy enforcement elsewhere.

Published – July 24, 2025 | Read More