The Janata Dal (United) [JDU] Nagaland State has expressed its support for the State Cabinet’s recent decision to extend the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation (BEFR) of 1873 to the districts of Dimapur, Niuland, and Chumukedima, bringing the three districts under the Inner Line Permit (ILP) regime.
However, the JDU has raised concerns regarding the Cabinet’s decision to set two distinct cutoff dates—December 1, 1963, and November 21, 1979—for exemptions from the ILP. Under this decision, non-Nagas residing in Nagaland as of these dates can apply for either a Permanent Resident Certificate (PRC) or a Domicile Certificate.
The JDU argued that maintaining two separate cutoff dates “does not actually makes sense if all the non-Nagas falling under these two categories can avail the same facilities.” Instead, the party advocated for a single cutoff date, ideally coinciding with the creation of Nagaland State, “so as to avoid confusions in the enforcement process.”
“Moreover, granting of ILP on a long term basis must be carefully examined so that the very spirit of the BEFR 1873 is not defeated,” the JDU added.
The JDU has also proposed the establishment of an independent governing body, in the form of “Nagaland Inner Line Regulation Commission (NILRC),” which would possess both legislative and executive authority over ILP matters.
Furthermore, the JDU advocated for the introduction of separate legislation on adoption in Nagaland, distinguishing between “Nagas by Blood” and “Nagas by Adoption.”
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