NESO demands complete removal of AFSPA, opposes CAA implementation

Dimapur: The North East Students' Organisation (NESO), the apex body of student outfits in the region, has demanded the complete removal of AFSPA and implementation of Inner Line Permit (ILP) in the entire Northeast.

NESO chairman Samuel B Jywra, in a press conference here on Tuesday, demanded that Common University Entrance Test (CUET) should not be conducted for the northeastern states as students of the region lag behind pupils in other parts of the country in many aspects.

NESO advisor Samujjal Bhattacharya demanded the establishment of more technical and non-technical institutions in the region.

He demanded that illegal Bangladeshi immigrants in the region be identified as deported.

"NESO opposes the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act," Bhattacharya said.

He said the region has faced a "lot of atrocities" due to Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958, with the latest being the killing of 13 daily wagers at Oting in Nagaland's Mon district on December 4, 2021.

"We have suffered due to AFSPA and it should be totally removed from the Northeast," he said.

The NESO advisor also demanded that Inner Line Permit (ILP) be implemented in the entire region to protect the indigenous inhabitants.

The NESO office-bearers are likely to meet representatives of the Union government over their demands.