Kohima, May 2 (MExN): The Inner Line Regulation Commission (ILRC) of the Naga Students’ Federation has issued a strong warning against what it termed as the continued “proliferation of benami business practices” in Naga areas, announcing intensified enforcement measures, including surprise inspections and spot checks.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the Commission expressed serious concern over the benami practice which it termed as “Local Fronting, Proxy Ownership, or Nominee Arrangements.”
According to the ILRC, such practices involve non-local individuals operating commercial establishments in the names of local Naga citizens to bypass existing regulations.
These arrangements violate both legal and customary safeguards designed to protect Naga land, trade, and economic rights, it said.
Such activities undermine statutory frameworks, including Inner Line regulations and trade licensing norms, while posing a threat to the socio-economic security of the Naga people, it added.
The ILRC noted that the Federation has been opposing benami business practices since the 1990s through public campaigns, representations, and awareness initiatives.
However, it noted that the continued persistence and even cases of such arrangements in in some areas reflects disregard for both the law and public sentiment.
Issuing what the Commission described as a “clear and unequivocal warning”, the Commission called on all non-Naga individuals engaged in benami businesses, proxy ownership, or nominee arrangements to cease such activities immediately, stating that attempts to exploit legal loopholes or misuse the identities of Naga citizens for commercial gain would not be tolerated.
It also cautioned local Naga individuals who knowingly facilitate such arrangements, terming the growing trend of “rent-a-local” practices as a serious erosion of collective responsibility and a threat to long-term community rights and economic sovereignty.
As part of its intensified enforcement efforts, the ILRC said it would initiate surprise inspections and spot checks across various commercial sectors, in coordination with relevant authorities where necessary, to identify and expose benami operations.
Reiterating its stand, the Commission demanded the immediate cessation of all benami business practices and cautioned that violators would face public exposure and other actions deemed necessary in defence of Naga rights and lawful economic order.
The ILRC stated that it remains committed to safeguarding the interests, identity, and economic future of the Naga people, declaring: “No more fronts. No more proxies. Naga rights are not for rent.”
