Inner line permit regime extended to Manipur, Nagaland's Dimapur

The inner line permit (ILP) regime was extended to Manipur on Wednesday with President Ram Nath Kovind signing the order in this effect.

The decision comes two days after Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced in the Lok Sabha that the ILP would be extended to Manipur to allay fears of the people of the northeastern state about the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019.

A notification in this regard was issued by the Home Ministry.

To visit the ILP-regime states, outsiders, including people from other states of the country, need to take permission. There are also protection for the locals with regards to lands, jobs and other facilities.

The ILP regime is applicable under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873. In terms of Section 2 of the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulations, 1873, citizens of other states require ILP for visiting these three states.

The main objective of the ILP system is to prevent settlement of other Indian nationals in the three states in order to protect the indigenous population.

There have been widespread protests in the Northeastern region against the bill following which the home minister had announced that the proposed law will not be applicable in ILP regime states and areas governed under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.

Under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, autonomous councils and districts were created in certain tribal areas in Assam, Meghalaya and Tripura. The autonomous councils and districts enjoy certain executive and legislative powers.

While introducing the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 in the Lok Sabha on Monday, Shah had said the ILP would be extended to Manipur. He had also said an order in this regard would be issued before the proposed legislation is notified.

According to the bill, members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities, who have come from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, till December 31, 2014 facing religious persecution there, will not be treated as illegal immigrants but given Indian citizenship. 

The Nagaland government has extended the Inner Line Permit (ILP) regime to the Dimapur district, according to an official notification.

Dimapur, the commercial hub of the state, was the only district that was not under the ILP regime unlike the rest of Nagaland, which came into being in 1963.

"In exercise of the powers conferred under Section 2 of the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873, and in the interest of the public, the Governor of Nagaland is pleased to extend the Inner Line to cover the entire District of Dimapur with immediate effect," said a notification dated December 9, issued by chief secretary Temjen Toy.

The state Cabinet had approved on February 15 the proposal to extend the ILP to Dimapur.

All non-indigenous people who have entered the district after November 21, 1979, will have to obtain ILP within 90 days from December 9, according to the notification.

It said that those who have settled or have entered before November 21, 1979, and have been staying continuously, will be exempted from the ILP regime "along with his/her direct descendants".

However, it said that non-indigenous persons living in Dimapur prior to November 21, 1979, will have to produce documents to the deputy commissioner for exemption.

Any non-indigenous person passing through the district as a transit passenger and having a valid ticket will not be required to obtain Inner Line Permit, the notification said.

The ILP regime was also extended to neighbouring Manipur on Wednesday with President Ram Nath Kovind signing the order in this effect.

To visit the ILP-regime states, outsiders, including people from other states of the country, need to take permission. There are also protections for the locals with regards to lands, jobs and other facilities.

Besides Nagaland and Manipur, the ILP regime is also applicable to Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram.

The ILP regime is applicable under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873. In terms of Section 2 of the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulations, 1873, citizens of other states require ILP for visiting these states.

The main objective of the ILP system is to prevent the settlement of other Indian nationals in these states to protect the indigenous population.

There have been widespread protests in the Northeast against the Citizenship (Ammendment) Bill, following which Union Home Minister Amit Shah had announced that the proposed law will not be applicable to ILP regime states and areas governed under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.

Under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, autonomous councils and districts were created in certain tribal areas in Assam, Meghalaya, and Tripura. The autonomous councils and districts enjoy certain executive and legislative powers.

No major protests or demonstrations have been held in Nagaland in the past few days.

According to the Citizenship (Ammendment) Bill, members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities, who have come from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan, till December 31, 2014, facing religious persecution there, will not be treated as illegal immigrants but given Indian citizenship.