Shillong, Aug 18: The North East Students’ Organisation (NESO) today held a sit-in demonstration across seven capital cities of the North East states – Guwahati, Itanagar, Shillong, Aizawl, Kohima, Imphal and Agartala –demanding eviction of illegal immigrants from the region.
The strike aims to pressure the state and central governments to clamp down on the entry of illegal immigrants by formulating laws and mechanisms.
NESO, an umbrella body representing various student organisations across the North East, has been vocal about its concerns regarding illegal immigration and its impact on the region’s demographics and security.
In Shillong, NESO chairman Samuel B Jyrwa said the protest was a “call to action” to address an issue that has “altered the demography and stability of the North East”.
“We have faced this problem for decades, especially in Tripura, Assam and even in Meghalaya. Since the prime minister has acknowledged the impact of large-scale immigration in his address on Independence Day, we hope that the Centre will take concrete steps to protect the welfare of the indigenous people,” he said.
Jyrwa cited Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Independence Day address acknowledging the impact of large-scale illegal immigration on the Northeast, adding, “Since the Prime Minister has acknowledged this grave issue, we hope the Government of India takes concrete steps on the ground to protect the welfare of the indigenous people.”
The Khasi Students’ Union (KSU), a key constituent of NESO, has warned that it is prepared to enforce its own version of the ILP in a bid to check the unchecked flow of illegal immigrants into the state.
KSU general secretary Donald V. Thabah expressed deep frustration with the state government for failing to push the ILP demand strongly with the Centre.
The KSU also revived its long-pending call for setting up a Territorial Army in Meghalaya, on the lines of the one recently sanctioned for Mizoram. Thabah recalled that this demand dates back to the Pyrdiwah incident, when the Union under former president Paul Lyngdoh had pushed for a “People’s Army” to guard the state’s vulnerable borders.
Thabah also drew attention to the ongoing eviction exercises in Assam and the volatile situation in Bangladesh, warning that both factors could drive displaced people into Meghalaya, worsening the immigration challenge.
The Union, he said, has already begun stepping up vigilance, particularly in sensitive border areas such as South West
While acknowledging cooperation with the police and the Border Security Force (BSF), Thabah maintained that these agencies remain handicapped without a strong legal framework.
Reiterating its stance, the Union said that unless both the state and Centre act decisively on ILP, grassroots interventions by the KSU will only grow stronger.
