State authorities and police are aware of this, and are even cooperating with students to check travellers’ documentation.
New Delhi: The furore over the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam might have died down for the time being, but its ripples are being felt in the rest of the Northeast.
Neighbouring states fear an influx of the 40 lakh people who have been left out of the final draft of the NRC, released on 31 July. And student union bodies in each of these states have taken it upon themselves to set up check-posts and restrict the entry of any alleged ‘illegal immigrants’ into their states.
Student unions, though entities recognised by the state, do not have the authority to conduct any searches on the people. But in all the Northeastern states, including Assam, student unions have historically held significant sway, and have influenced many decisions by acting as strong pressure groups. The NRC itself, in fact, is the byproduct of the All Assam Students Union’s demonstrations against migrants to the state, which resulted in the Assam Accord of 1985.
Also read: BJP has two strategies for NRC: Moderation from ministers, belligerence from party
State authorities and the police in all states are aware of the student bodies’ actions. However, the administration has not intervened anywhere yet, while in Manipur, the police claim they are unaware of any such activities.
Mizoram
The latest such vigilante exercise is being carried out by the Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP) — the apex students’ body — which set up three check-posts in the Kolasib district bordering Assam in the northern part of the state.
The MZP set up the posts on 16 August to check that all those who entered Mizoram possessed a valid Inner Line Permit (ILP), a legal travel document issued by the government of India that allows the entry and the stay of a non-local in the state, or their names appeared in the final NRC draft.
Speaking to the ThePrint, Lalnunmawia Pautu, general secretary of the MZP, said: “We are asking people for their application numbers and checking them online on the NRC website. If they don’t match, we are asking them to go back.”
The state police is closely working with the union, said a senior state police official. “We are there to ensure that those caught at the check posts are not being harassed,” the officer, who did not wish to be named, added.
Manipur
Since 4 August, the All Manipur Students’ Union (AMSU) is running two check-posts on National Highway 2 and 37, which shares borders with Cachar district of Assam.
“We are checking for documents like the Aadhaar or any other document that proves that the people are Indian citizens,” AMSU president Manjit Sarangthem told ThePrint. The body will also conduct checks amongst the people residing in the state, he added. Interestingly, Aadhaar is not considered a proof of citizenship in India.
Clay Khongsai, Inspector-General (law and order) of the Manipur Police, said they were unaware of any such activities taking place in the state.
Meghalaya
In Meghalaya, the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) had set up three check-posts at the Jaintia, Ri Bhoi and the West Khasi Hills districts on 1 August, a day after the final NRC draft was released.
KSU general secretary Donald V. Thabah said they felt the need to put up the check-post as the already existing ones were ill-equipped and understaffed. Thabah claimed that 1,500 people were identified who did not have any legal documents, and these people were asked to go back.
Contrary to Thabah’s claims, a senior official of the Meghalaya police said that not more than 34 people were identified on the day of the check. He added: “Since the beginning of August, police is conducting strict checks on the state borders.”
The officer warned students not to take law into their hands, and said the police had responded immediately upon learning about the activities of the union.
Nagaland
In Nagaland too, the Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) has started conducting checks on the highways. NSF general secretary Imty said all exercises in the state were being carried out with cooperation from the police.
Nagaland is a “protected” state that requires non-locals to possess an ILP to enter or reside. Highlighting this, Imty said: “We have been conducting such exercises for quite some time now.”
T. John Longkumer, DGP Nagaland, said the police is already deployed to check ILPs at various entry points to the state, and the students are only acting as ‘informers’ who are conducting checks on those who are coming into the state. When asked whether such searches by student bodies were permissible, Longkumer said: “It is a special situation in Nagaland.”
Arunachal Pradesh
The All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU) had declared a two-day long “Operation Clean Drive” on 16 August that called for people to either acquire an ILP or leave the state.
AAPSU president Hawa Bagang said sources from various corners of the state kept a close watch on the people who were suspected to be living without legal documents. He said the entire exercise was conducted in cooperation with the state police.
Bagang claimed that the exercise identified at least 2,000 such people, and said it was citizens who needed to take action.
“Democracy ek din ka kaam karne mein dus din lagati hai (Democracy takes ten days to finish a day’s work),” he said. “If the government doesn’t do it, I’ll do it.”
Itanagar SP Harshvardhan Mandava said the AAPSU informed the police of 130 people who were residing without an ILP.
“Particularly under the activities of 16 and 17 August, the AAPSU merely informed the police about some people without an ILP. We (the police) went to the spots and conducted thorough verification according to procedures,” Mandava clarified.
Also read: Days after Assam NRC list, now Arunachal student body threatens to drive out ‘migrants’
Tripura
Tripura is handling the situation a bit differently. While the Tripura Students’ Federation has not initiated any checking of documents, the demand for an NRC of its own is growing.
TSF president Sunil Debbarman said the student body has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Rajnath Singh on 29 August, requesting an NRC exercise for the state. It has asked the government to consider the 1951 census as the basis for verifying citizenship of the people of the state.
“Our fight is against all those who are not from India and are living illegally in the country,” Debbarman said.
The TSF plans to take the issue forward with the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT), an ally of the ruling BJP that represents the state’s tribals and has been at the forefront of demanding an NRC.
Commenting on the situation, Saradindu Choudhury, additional secretary, home department, said: “There are demands for an NRC but these are on a very small scale. Nothing official has been decided yet. Until the state government decides, no student can do anything.”