NESO and Naga Students’ Body Step Up Call for Eviction of Illegal Immigrants from Northeast

On Monday, the North East Students’ Federation (NESO), in collaboration with the Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) and several other regional student bodies, organised a large sit-in demonstration at Naga Solidarity Park, Kohima. The primary agenda of the protest was to demand the immediate eviction of illegal immigrants from the Northeast, an issue that has long been viewed as a significant threat to the region’s security, stability, and cultural identity.

The protest witnessed widespread participation from students across different educational institutions, as well as leaders and members of both NESO and NSF. During the agitation, NESO general secretary Mutsho Kiho Yhobu and NSF president Medovi Rhii submitted a memorandum addressed to Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio through the state’s Chief Secretary Sentiyanger Imchen. This memorandum outlined grave concerns about the unchecked and continuous inflow of illegal migrants into the Northeast. It categorised the issue as one of the most dangerous threats to the socio-cultural fabric, demographic stability, and political equilibrium of the region.

The memorandum specifically drew attention to the drastic demographic changes already visible in Assam, where the population structure has been undergoing rapid and radical transformation due to illegal immigration. It further highlighted that the problem is not confined to Assam alone, but has extended to other states in the region, particularly Tripura and Meghalaya. The organisations emphasised that despite years of repeated appeals and warnings from student bodies, the central government has failed to implement effective and long-term measures to address the issue.

The students’ bodies strongly criticised the Centre’s inaction and warned that unless immediate steps were taken, the indigenous communities of the Northeast would face irreversible cultural, political, and demographic consequences. Among their primary demands were the immediate detection and deportation of illegal migrants, and the sealing of the Indo-Bangladesh border. They stressed that modern surveillance technologies and adequate security deployment must be utilised to ensure that further infiltration is completely stopped.

Beyond border control, the memorandum also urged greater inter-state coordination to prevent the relocation of migrants within the Northeast, which has often worsened the crisis by allowing illegal immigrants to spread across states undetected. In addition, the student organisations called for legal safeguards and comprehensive policy measures to protect the rights of indigenous communities, particularly their control over land, preservation of culture, and protection of political identity.

Another key demand was the formation of a Special Review Committee. This body, they suggested, should be tasked with assessing the population explosion in the region caused by unchecked migration. Such a review would provide an official and structured understanding of how immigration is impacting the demographic and cultural landscape of the Northeast.

In their concluding remarks, both NESO and NSF issued a stern warning about the cultural threats already visible in parts of the Northeast. They argued that the identity, cultural heritage, and even the survival of indigenous communities were now at stake. Without urgent intervention, they feared, the region could lose its unique social fabric to the overwhelming pressures of illegal immigration.