The Nagaland government on Wednesday announced the enforcement of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) in the newly formed districts of Dimapur, Chumoukedima, and Niuland. This decision was made during a state cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, as reported by state government spokesperson and Minister Temjen Imna Along.
Previously, ILP regulations did not apply to the Dimapur district before it was divided into three separate districts in 2021. With the new enforcement, ILP will now be mandatory for visitors from outside the state, particularly in Dimapur and Niuland, which share inter-state borders with Assam.
Minister Along outlined that in Dimapur, there will be three categories of non-Naga residents affected by the ILP requirements:
- Category I: Individuals settled in Dimapur before December 1, 1963, will be eligible for a smart card facility and have the option to obtain a permanent residence certificate (PRC) and domicile certificate.
- Category II: Individuals settled between December 1, 1963, and November 21, 1979, will be provided permanent residence certificates with the option for domicile certificates.
- Category III: Individuals settled on or after November 22, 1979, will be subject to the ILP regulations.
The government plans to enhance the digital system for ILP issuance to streamline the process and reduce reliance on intermediaries. Certain categories such as students, teachers, technical personnel, and investors will be eligible for ILPs valid for 2-5 years.
The ILP is part of the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation (BEFR) Act of 1873, designed to protect the indigenous identity of Nagaland by regulating the entry of non-Nagas. This move comes amid growing calls from various tribal bodies and civil society organizations to address concerns about illegal immigration, exacerbated by the political crisis in neighboring Bangladesh. The Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) had previously set a deadline for the government to implement ILP in these districts, warning that any delay would be considered a failure to protect the Naga people.
MTNews Desk | 11 September