SHILLONG: Convener of North East Forum of Indigenous People (NEFIP), Ningthouja Lancha said Inner Line Permit (ILP) is a colonial mechanism and stressed on coming up with a similar influx regulation mechanism based on United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP).
Meghalaya-based Confederation of Meghalaya Social Organisations (CoMSO) which has pressure groups from across the state under its banner, is a part of NEFIP.
Addressing the Press here on Wednesday, Lancha observed that different states in the North East India has different dynamics and different interpretation of ILP and some states may contradict with the concept of ILP as these states have their own definition of ILP.
“ILP or similar type of Bill can be introduced. Even all the states in the North East India as a whole can come to the negotiation table in order to devise our own me mechanism besides ILP,” he said.
Stating that ILP or Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation (BFR) was introduced in 1873, Lancha said, “We are the owner of our land. We should decide our future, decide our system and this particular system that we are talking about is the remnant of the British colonialism, how long will we continue to accept it?”
The first meeting of the North East Forum for Indigenous People (NEFIP) resolved to oppose the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) and to extend support to implementation of Inner Line Permit (ILP), NRC and other alike influx related regulation.
State coordinator, Nagaland, Theja Therieh said the meeting resolved to support the implementation of UNDRIP in all North Eastern states and will hold a seminar on UNDRIP on August 9 on the occasion of World Indigenous Day.
The meeting also resolved that NEFIP shall consult all other like-minded social organisations in the region.