The Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad (AJYCP) has filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court seeking 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, Assam Tribune reported.
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.
Earlier, the All Tai Ahom Chatra Sanstha filed a similar petition in the top court last week.
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,” he said.
Changmai further said 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.
The AJYCP further said the ILP system can be implemented Assam without affecting rail and air connectivity in the State with advanced technology at hand.