A recent video of a local journalist questioning a non-Naga individual about the Inner Line Permit (ILP) in Dimapur has gone viral, not because it sparked enlightenment but because it exposed a disturbing apathy and ignorance surrounding a law meant to protect Nagaland’s indigenous identity. When the interviewee flippantly asked back, “What is the use of ILP?” it was not just a challenge to a reporter, but to the very legitimacy of the system itself.
The journalist’s visible struggle to assert the law’s relevance is a telling sign of a larger crisis: we are failing to both enforce and educate. The ILP is not a mere bureaucratic hurdle. It is a legal instrument under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, now extended to Dimapur, Chümoukedima, and Niuland as of September 2024. Its purpose is to regulate the entry of non-indigenous persons and safeguard the rights, land, and economy of the Naga people. It stands on the same historical and legal pedestal as Article 371(A).
Yet, as the Inner Line Regulation Commission (ILRC) of the Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) rightly pointed out, the implementation has been lax. No strict checks, no accountability, no deterrence. Surprise inspections are rare. Rejections of ILP applications are even rarer. Meanwhile, non-locals enter freely, conduct business, and depart unnoticed. Over 95% of shops in Dimapur are now reportedly run by outsiders, a figure that should alarm any right-thinking citizen.
Equally concerning is the growing disrespect for local authority, an issue worsened by poor administration and inconsistent enforcement. If authorities appear unsure or disinterested in upholding the law, why would anyone take it seriously?
The onus is now on the Nagaland government to treat the ILP not as a formality but as a shield of identity and survival. The public, especially incoming non-locals, must be educated clearly: ILP is not optional. Journalists, too, must be equipped with the knowledge and conviction to defend such policies in public discourse.
Strict enforcement of the ILP in Dimapur is especially important, as the town is widely regarded as the focal point of the growing demographic imbalance that threatens Nagaland’s indigenous identity.
Nagaland is not just another state. It is a legacy. And that legacy demands both vigilance and pride.