Guwahati, August 7: The North East Students’ Organisation (NESO) has called for the implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) across all Northeastern states and demanded a re-verification of the NRC in Assam, citing the continued influx of illegal immigrants and demographic changes in the region.

During a regional consultative meeting held in Guwahati, senior NESO leaders including advisor Dr. Samujjal Bhattacharyya and convenor Utpal Sarma, voiced strong criticism of the BJP-led Assam government’s alleged inaction following National Investigation Agency (NIA) crackdowns on suspected infiltrators.

Bhattacharyya warned of an “existential threat” posed by unchecked immigration, stating, “The Indo-Bangladesh border continues to serve as a porous gateway for infiltrators, including fundamentalist groups. The government’s failure to detect, delete, and deport such elements is a serious dereliction of duty.”

Citing Tripura as a demographic caution, he claimed that the indigenous population now accounts for less than 10% of the total state population. “Out of 40 lakh people in Tripura, only 3 lakh are indigenous. This demographic shift is alarming,” he said.

Utpal Sarma emphasized that the NRC should be a region-wide exercise to identify and deport illegal foreigners, reiterating NESO’s longstanding opposition to the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

“The NRC process must be extended to the entire Northeast,” Sarma said, also calling for intensified eviction drives to clear encroachments on forest land.

Key demands raised by NESO include:

• Region-wide NRC implementation.
• NRC re-verification in Assam.
• Detection and deportation of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants.
• Exclusion of the Northeast from the CAA.
• Constitutional safeguards for indigenous communities.
• Continuation of eviction drives in encroached forest areas.

NESO warned of further mobilisation if their concerns remain unaddressed, vowing to protect the demographic and cultural identity of the region at all costs.