The North East Students’ Organisation (NESO) has issued a call for a comprehensive National Register of Citizens (NRC) across all states in the Northeast, citing a critical need to address illegal immigration. Speaking at a press conference in Panbazar on Wednesday, senior leaders of the organisation also reiterated their support for a re-verification of the NRC in Assam.
NESO leaders, including advisor Samujjal Bhattacharyya and convenor Utpal Sarma, voiced deep concern over the persistent influx of undocumented foreigners from Bangladesh. They argued that this not only threatens the identity of indigenous communities but also poses a serious risk to national security. Bhattacharyya highlighted Tripura as a cautionary example, claiming that the state’s indigenous population has seen a sharp demographic decline.
The organisation criticised successive governments for failing to implement key clauses of the Assam Accord and for a lack of sustained action against infiltrators. Sarma emphasised that anti-encroachment drives to clear forest lands must continue without hesitation, asserting that such encroachment cannot be tolerated.
Key demands from NESO include:
- Implementation of the NRC across the entire Northeast.
- Re-verification of the existing NRC in Assam to ensure its accuracy.
- Immediate detection and deportation of illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.
- Complete exclusion of the Northeast from the purview of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
- Constitutional safeguards to protect the rights of indigenous peoples.
- The sealing of the India-Bangladesh border on a “war footing.”
