Prasanta Mazumdar By

Express News Service

GUWAHATI: In what was seen as the fallout of the National Register of Citizens’ (NRC) final draft in Assam, hundreds of people travelling to Nagaland and Meghalaya were sent back from the two states by the police and a students’ outfit.

It happened despite the Centre’s assurance that people whose names did not figure on the list need not panic as it was only a draft and not the final NRC.

The police in Nagaland set up check-posts at all entry points to the state from Assam and also the state’s only railhead Dimapur to thwart the influx of ‘IBIs’ or illegal Bangladeshi immigrants.

Apart from the Inner Line Permit (ILP) required to visit the state, outsiders are now also required to furnish documents to prove he/she is an Indian. According to official sources, dozens of travelers, who failed to furnish the documents, were sent back.

Ahead of the publication of the draft NRC, the Nagaland government had appealed to all organisations and village authorities to be alert to prevent the influx of illegal immigrants.

Confirming it, Nagaland’s Chief Secretary Temjen Toy told TNIE that the police were frisking travellers to find proof of their identity.

“We are looking for any document of identity, such as Aadhaar card, ration card, voter ID etc. We are worried only of people who are illegal immigrants. For the time being, we are only trying to find out whether they (travellers) have any proof of identity because we don’t yet have the details from the government of Assam,” Toy said.

In Meghalaya, over 1,000 alleged immigrants have been sent back from several check-posts by the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU). The KSU set up the check-posts in three districts.

KSU’s West Khasi Hills district chief John Fisher Nongsiang said they erected the “infiltration” check gates “as there is no mechanism in the state to tackle influx”