The Naga Students’ Federation (NSF), through its Inner Line Regulation Commission (ILRC), will organise a two-day national seminar on the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation (BEFR), 1873, at Town Hall, Dimapur, on August 28 and 29.
The seminar will focus on the implementation of the BEFR in Nagaland and other Inner Line Permit (ILP) states, as well as its constitutional and legal dimensions.
According to the NSF, the first day will focus on “Academic and Ground Realities”, examining the enforcement of the Regulation in Nagaland and other ILP states, while the second day will focus on its “Legal Perspective”.
Senior Advocates of the Supreme Court of India Prashant Bhushan and Shomona Khanna are among the speakers. They are scheduled to address the correlation between Fundamental Rights and the BEFR, 1873, and the protection of the rights of hill tribes.
Academic resource persons include Prof Nani Bath of Rajiv Gandhi University, Arunachal Pradesh; Dr Lallianchhunga of Mizoram University; Prof (Dr) Ch. Priyoranjan Singh of Manipur University; and Prof Shantanu Chakravarty of Girijananda Chowdhury University, Assam, a former Head of the Department of Political Science at Cotton University.
Over 300 delegates are expected to attend, including representatives of tribal hohos, apex Naga organisations, student bodies and NSF federating units, besides Members of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly, government officials, members of bar associations and representatives of colleges and other institutions in Dimapur.
The NSF said the proceedings will be documented and the outcomes, including a rapporteurs’ report, consolidated policy recommendations and a seminar resolution, will be submitted to the Government of Nagaland.
Twenty seats have also been reserved for members of the general public. Advance booking is compulsory and will close on August 25.
The Federation has appealed to the public, particularly students, to take part in the deliberations.
The BEFR, 1873, provides the legal basis for the Inner Line system in the region, which regulates the entry of outsiders into protected areas.
The seminar is being organised amid continuing discussions over the implementation and relevance of the BEFR and the ILP system in safeguarding the interests of indigenous communities.
For further information, the NSF said members of the public may contact Eno Seve R. Vadeo, Member Secretary, ILRC-NSF.
