Agartala, Aug 18 (NationPress) The North East Students’ Organisation (NESO), which serves as a leading coalition of eight prominent student groups from the Northeastern states, has called upon the Prime Minister and Home Minister to establish a Special Commission tasked with performing a comprehensive overhaul of electoral rolls. This initiative aims to identify and remove the names of foreign nationals and illegal immigrants from the voter lists within a specified timeframe.

The eight student organizations under NESO conducted protests across seven northeastern states on Monday. They also urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah to refrain from enforcing the Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2019 throughout the Northeast.

NESO submitted individual memoranda to the Prime Minister, Union Home Minister, and the Chief Ministers of the region, emphasizing the challenges posed by the ongoing influx of illegal migrants from neighboring countries.

“The continuous influx of illegal migrants has led to significant demographic shifts in the Northeast and other regions of the country,” the memorandum stated, signed by NESO Chairman Samuel B. Jyrwa and Secretary General Mutsikhoyo Yhobu.

It highlighted that the persistent arrival of refugees and undocumented immigrants has instilled a sense of unease among the indigenous populations, who fear that their cultural heritage, political identity, and control over land may be jeopardized by outsiders.

“The unregulated porous borders have been exploited by extremist groups to infiltrate the region, further endangering the indigenous communities. There is considerable evidence to suggest that several militant fundamentalist factions are already operating in the Northeast with intentions to dominate the area according to their own agendas. The region faces a severe economic crisis due to the growing population, with decreasing per capita income and escalating poverty levels. Additionally, unemployment is surging, affecting hundreds of thousands,” the memorandum added.

NESO demanded prompt actions to detect and deport all illegal foreigners from the Northeast and expressed deep dissatisfaction regarding the failure to implement the Assam Accord (1985) even after 40 years of its inception.

The organization also urged the Prime Minister and Home Minister to broaden the scope of the Inner Line Permit throughout the Northeastern region. This permit, established under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation of 1873, serves as an official travel document allowing Indian citizens to visit designated ILP-enforced states and areas for limited periods and specified purposes. The ILP aims to safeguard the identity and existence of indigenous peoples and is currently enforced in Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram, and Manipur.

NESO also called upon the Centre to initiate immediate measures to compile a citizens' register by updating the National Register of Citizens (NRC) of 1951, which remains the only official citizenship document.

Meanwhile, the Tipra Motha Party, an ally of the ruling BJP in Tripura, has been actively protesting against the illegal migration into Tripura and is advocating for the deportation of all illegal immigrants to their respective countries.

A delegation from TMP, led by party leader Pradyot Bikram Manikya Debbarma, recently approached the Election Commission of India in New Delhi, requesting the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in Tripura, similar to the ongoing procedures in Bihar.