The Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) has urged Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio to constitute an autonomous Nagaland Inner Line Regulation Commission through legislation to ensure effective, transparent and uniform implementation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) system in the state.
The demand was made through a representation submitted to the Chief Minister during the two-day National Seminar on Awareness of the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation (BEFR), 1873, held at Town Hall, Dimapur, on August 28 and 29. The representation was signed by Senchumo NSN Lotha, Chairman, ILRC, NSF and Mteisuding, President, NSF.
The NSF, along with its Inner Line Regulation Commission (ILRC), stated that the BEFR, 1873, read with the constitutional safeguards under Article 371A, remains a key legal safeguard for the identity, land, customs and resources of Nagaland’s indigenous people.
According to the Federation, however, the principal challenge lies not in the legal framework but in its administration and enforcement.
The NSF pointed out that responsibility for implementing the ILP system is presently dispersed among the Home Department, district administrations, police, municipal and village authorities and trade licensing authorities. As a result, it said, there is no single authority accountable for the functioning of the system as a whole.
The Federation further highlighted the absence of a consolidated register of ILP passes issued, renewed, expired or cancelled, as well as the lack of an independent audit mechanism and publicly available data to assess the effectiveness of implementation.
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It said the absence of a centralised institutional mechanism had placed an undue burden on student organisations, tribal bodies and community groups to monitor the system, despite their lack of statutory authority and adequate resources.
At the same time, the NSF cautioned that weak and fragmented enforcement could also create opportunities for unscrupulous individuals to harass non-locals under the guise of ILP vigilance.
To address these concerns, the Federation has called for the creation of a statutory and autonomous Nagaland Inner Line Regulation Commission, vested with powers to formulate rules and regulations and ensure stringent and systematic enforcement of the BEFR.
The proposed commission, it said, should have sufficient autonomy to take decisions necessary for establishing a robust mechanism for the smooth, balanced and effective implementation of the Inner Line Regulation.
The NSF maintained that, for holistic planning and effective administration, matters relating to the functioning of the Inner Line Regulation should be brought under the proposed commission.
The Federation clarified that its present representation was confined to the single demand for constitution of the autonomous commission, while a consolidated set of recommendations emerging from the two-day seminar would be submitted separately to the State Government after the proceedings are compiled.
The NSF and ILRC also assured the government of their cooperation in implementing the proposed mechanism and expressed appreciation for the government’s stated commitment to protecting the rights of Nagaland’s indigenous people.
