Wed Jul 23 21:30:00 UTC 2025: **Summary:**

Student organizations in Nagaland, India, are raising concerns about a potential influx of people evicted from government lands in Assam. The Assam government has been conducting eviction drives, primarily targeting Bengali-speaking Muslims with roots in Bangladesh. Naga tribes bordering Assam fear a mass migration into their territories, particularly following planned evictions near Uriamghat. Student unions are deploying volunteers to check entrants for valid Inner-Line Permits (ILP) and demanding stricter enforcement to protect indigenous rights and security. Other Naga student bodies have expressed similar concerns. The Assam government insists on continuing the eviction drive, which has already resulted in violence.

**News Article:**

**Naga Student Groups Fear Influx from Assam Evictions, Demand Stricter Border Controls**

**GUWAHATI – July 24, 2025** – Several tribe-based student organizations in Nagaland are demanding heightened border security amid fears of a potential influx of displaced individuals evicted from government land in neighboring Assam. The Assam government, led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has been carrying out eviction drives targeting encroachers, primarily Bengali-speaking Muslims, since June.

The concern stems from planned evictions in areas bordering Nagaland, specifically a forested area in Uriamghat, Golaghat district. In response, student bodies are mobilizing volunteers to monitor entry points and enforce Inner-Line Permit (ILP) regulations.

The Konyak Students’ Union has directed its units in the Mon district to deploy volunteers to check all non-locals for valid ILPs and proper documentation, threatening to send back those without the required papers. They are urging the district administration to temporarily halt ILP issuance to allow for stricter scrutiny.

“Strict compliance is expected to safeguard our indigenous rights and security,” the Konyak Students’ Union stated in a notification.

Other Naga student organizations, including the Sümi Naga students’ union and student bodies from the Lotha and Ao Naga tribes, have also raised alarms about the potential for “illegal immigrants” to cross the border.

The ILP, mandated by the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation of 1873, is a travel document required for Indian citizens entering “protected” states like Nagaland.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has stated that the eviction drive will continue, with the government claiming to have reclaimed 1.29 bighas of land from encroachers since 2021. The ongoing evictions have been met with resistance, including a recent incident in Goalpara district where one person was killed and several others injured. The tensions highlight the delicate balance between land rights, immigration concerns, and indigenous populations in the region.

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