NORTH EAST INDIA

Inner Line Permits: what link between law & reality?

BY JB LAMA

IT is inconceivable that despite the Inner Line Permit system under the 1873 East Bengal Frontier Hills Regulation Act being in vogue, Mizoram claims the presence of more than 10,000 outsiders in its capital town of Aizawl alone. There must be thousands more elsewhere in the state. Had the government been strict at the time of issuing permits or checking on those overstaying and their activities, it would not have faced such a situation. Mostly Bangladeshis, these "outsiders" are either engaged in petty business or are daily wage earners. Mizoram is also shelter for more than 40,000 Chin and Myanmarese refugees after they fled their country following the military junta's takeover in the late 1980s.

Aizawl's bid to flush out infiltrators received a setback last June when Gauhati High Court stopped the state government from arresting and deporting "any Indian nationals on (the) ground of not possessing (an) Inner Line Permit". However, on Aizawl's plea, it has allowed the state government to "verify (the) credentials of those whom the state government suspects are not Indian citizens". Of significance is the high court's order that this task of verifying credentials be entrusted to a police official not below the rank of DSP — ostensibly to ensure that no students are involved in identifying and detecting foreign nationals.

In Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland, where the Inner Line system is also in force, students' branding non-indigenous residents as "foreigners" gained acceptance with the support of local governments. Their voluntary service has often led to unpleasant situations, like harassment of bona fide citizens. There is no denying that the Inner Line system helps tribals in their battle against economic exploitation by outsiders, but their rights and privileges are well protected by the Constitution. There are specific laws and enactments besides political commitments and international agreements to determine citizenship status, but in the North-east the Centre is yet to define who "foreigners" are and also whether an Indian citizen has the right to live in any state he/she chooses. Tribals have resisted the move to repeal the 1873 regulation but there has to be a meeting point between the law and reality. If a law cannot be enforced strictly, is it worth persisting with?

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ASSAM, Manipur and Meghalaya have new Governors. The Bodos must be proud to see a man from their community, 62-year-old Ranjit Sekhar Mooshahary, gracing Raj Bhavan at Shillong. He was the first Bodo IPS officer and the first from the North-east to be appointed Director-General of the Border Security Force. An IPS office of the 1967 Kerala cadre, Mooshahary held several important posts like the DGP in the state and also served as Director-General of the National Security Guards. He comes from Odlaguri village in Kokrajhar and was reportedly in Shillong between 1961-67 earning a livelihood and at the same attending evening classes at St Anthony's College. Not even in his wildest dream could he have ever thought that in the next 40 years he would be the occupant of Raj Bhavan in the same state.

The first among tribals to hold the post of Governor was the late Hokishe Sema, who served as Nagaland's chief minister before being appointed Governor of Himachal Pradesh. The next to follow was PR Kyndiah of Meghalaya, who became Governor of Mizoram and is now Union minister for tribal affairs. SC Jamir, who was the longest serving chief minister of Nagaland, served as Governor of Goa before being shifted to Maharashtra, where he now remains. Former Arunachal Preadesh chief minister Mukut Mithi is Governor of Puduchery. May their tribe increase. (The Statesman)