SHILLONG/TURA: Convener of North East Forum of Indigenous People (NEFIP), Ningthouja Lancha said that the Inner Line Permit (ILP) is a colonial mechanism while speaking at the first meeting of NEFIP held in NEHU campus here on Wednesday. The convener stressed on coming up with a similar mechanism like influx regulation based on the United Nations declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).
Lancha observed that different states in the North East have different dynamics and different interpretations of ILP and some states may contradict with the concept of ILP as such states have their own definition of it. “ILP or a similar type of Bill can be introduced. Or the North East as a whole can come to the negotiation table, or we can try to devise our own mechanism besides ILP,” he said.
Stating that ILP or Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation (BFR) was introduced in 1873, Lancha said, “We are the owners of our land. We should decide our future, our system and this in particular is the remnant of the British colonialism, how long will we accept it?”
Commenting on the National Register of Citizens (NRC), Lancha said the means and devices will be discussed but maintained that there should be discussions on the Indo-Nepal Treaty as well.
“We will detect the exact number of population of the indigenous people first and will finalise the demographic landscape of the whole region and try to devise our own mechanism,” he said.
Concerned over the growing number of migrants, Lancha alleged that most of the names of the migrants are never entered in the census of the respective states in the North East asserting that the indigenous people are reduced to “minority in our homeland.”
“So far as our knowledge is concerned, we have a population of 5.2 crore in North East and out of the 5.2 crore population, the indigenous population turns out to be 1.8 crore,” he said.
He assumed that there are over 2 crore migrants in Assam alone.
Opposition to CAB
The meeting also resolved to oppose the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) and to extend support to implementation of Inner Line Permit (ILP), NRC and other influx-like related regulation.
The Garoland State Movement Committee which is also a member reiterated that all like-minded tribal groups of the region will oppose the move of the central government to enforce the Citizenship Amendment Bill while simultaneously demanding strong measures, such as Inner Line Permit, to check illegal influx into the tribal region.
Leaders of the GSMC said that it was a unanimous decision of all the North East groups to oppose CAB and demand ILP.
“We will continue to oppose CAB until the government stops it’s pursuit to implement it,” said GSMC chairman Nikman Marak who led the Garo Hills delegation to the forum meet.
State coordinator, Nagaland, Theja Therieh said it will also 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.
Lancha said India did not ratify the UNDRIP and maintained that it needs to be ratified by India which will protect the interest of the indigenous people.
From Meghalaya, Confederation of Meghalaya Social Organizations (CoMSO) is also a part of NEFIP.