RIIN will not discriminate or hurt interest of Nagas: Rio

Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on Thursday asserted that the Register of Indigenous Inhabitants of Nagaland (RIIN) will not discriminate or hurt the interest of any resident of the state.

Addressing a function to celebrate the 73rd Independence Day here, Rio said the idea behind the RIIN was to maintain proper a record of "our own people as well as the genuine citizens who have been staying here for decades, and who have made Nagaland their home".

The CM said the RIIN will also help in the effective implementation of the Inner Line Permit or ILP.

"The Register of Indigenous Inhabitants of Nagaland exercise is to properly identify the indigenous people of Nagaland, as well as those domiciled and permanently settled in the state, which will also help in the effective implementation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP)," he said.

"My government has always kept the welfare of our people at the core of our agenda, and an important part of it also means creating systems and devising mechanisms that protect the people and allow them to safeguard their rights and entitlements," Rio said.

He said the state government has examined the evolving demands for extending the ILP regulations to the entire state by covering the commercial hub of Dimapur.

The chief minister, speaking at the Secretariat Plaza here, said the Nagaland government had announced the creation of RIIN on June 29, and it has since attracted many responses from various sections -- tribal bodies, civil society organsiations and individuals.

He said that a commission will soon submit a report, which will lay out the roadmap for the RIIN, and it will be tabled in the assembly for deliberation.

Rio added that his government has also set up a committee to look into the customs and traditions of the Nagas, which are "in danger of being forgotten".