GUWAHATI: Citing the prevailing unstable political situation in Bangladesh and the frequent arrests and detection of illegal Bangladeshi migrants in the Northeast, a Meghalaya-based organisation has urged Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to take the lead in demanding the extension of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) to the entire region.
The Hynniewtrep Integrated Territorial Organisation (HITO), in a letter addressed to Sarma, appealed to him in his capacity as Chairman of the North East Democratic Alliance to spearhead the demand for extending the ILP regime beyond the states where it is currently in force.
ILP is a travel document under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873, which every Indian citizen is required to carry while visiting a “protected” state for a limited stay. At present, it has been implemented in Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram.
In its letter, HITO stated that recent remarks by Bangladeshi leaders, including statements that Bangladesh is the “only guardian of the ocean” and references to the “chicken’s neck” (Siliguri corridor), have assumed significance and raised serious security, demographic and socio-political concerns for the Northeast.
“We urge you, in your capacity as the Chairman of the North East Democratic Alliance, to take the lead in demanding the extension of ILP to the entire Northeast region,” the organisation said in the letter.
The organisation categorically stated that the current situation demands the extension of the ILP regime to Meghalaya and Assam, along with the strengthening of its framework across the region, in order to protect indigenous communities, their land, identity and cultural heritage.
According to HITO, while ILP is not a complete solution to infiltration and illegal immigration, it would act as an important regulatory mechanism to partially control, monitor and check the movement of illegal migrants.
“We sincerely hope that this collective call from the region will be taken forward by your government and your party at the Centre, in the larger interest of national security, demographic balance, and the constitutional rights of indigenous communities of the northeastern states,” the letter further stated.
Meghalaya has been demanding the implementation of ILP for a long time. A few years ago, the state Assembly had unanimously passed a resolution seeking the introduction of the ILP regime in the state.