NEW DELHI, Feb 17 - Challenging exclusion of Assam from the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873 as unconstitutional, the Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad (AJYCP) on Monday filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court and demanded introduction of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) system in the State.
The Inner Line Permit regulates visit of Indians to states where the ILP regime is prevalent under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873. In terms of Section 2 of the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulations, 1873, the ILP system is prevalent in the three northeastern states of Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Nagaland. Citizens of other states require ILP for visiting these three States.
On December 10, 2019 the Centre brought Manipur under ILP regime during the passage of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in the Parliament.
The Government of India had initially declared the provisions of the Act to be applicable to the districts of Kamrup, Darrang, Nowgong, Sibsagar, Lakhimpur, Garo Hills, Khasi and Jaintia Hills, Naga Hills, and Cachar of undivided Assam.
However, after the country�s independence, by enacting the Adaption Law 1950, the ILP process was amended and the districts of Assam were excluded from the 1873 Regulation, which the AJYCP claimed was unconstitutional.
The AJYCP petition is second such petition to be filed in the apex court with the All Tai Ahom Chatra Sanstha filing a similar petition last week. The All Tai Ahom Chatra Sanstha sources said they have challenged the notification issued by the MHA excluding Assam from the ILP system.
The Tai Ahom student organisation claimed that if the ILP system is reintroduced in Assam, then the State will be out of the purview of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. It also sought an interim direction from the Supreme Court whereby during the hearing of the CAA case, the Assam government may introduce the ILP system in the State.
AJYCP general secretary Palash Changmai recently said that the youth organisation had raised the demand for ILP in Assam way back in March 1978 and has been demanding the same continuously for protecting the indigenous population.
�The threat to the indigenous population due to the changing population pattern was deciphered long back by the Parishad. Both external aggression and unrestrained internal migration are dangerous for the supremacy of the indigenous people in Assam. The provision for ILP was chalked out for Manipur after the anti-CAB movement, whereas Assam still has been left alone to bear the burden of illegal migrants,� he said.
�An offshoot of the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulations, 1873, the provision of ILP will ensure procuring obligatory travel documents for people travelling to ILP-protected areas for a limited period. Through this, we can also document and keep track of people entering the State, apart from their duration of stay,� the AJYCP leader said.
The AJYCP also asserted that the ILP system can be implemented across the State without affecting rail and air connectivity in the State with advanced technology at hand.
