Implement ILP in NE states: NESO to Centre

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaNovember 30, 2019

SHILLONG: The North East Students’ Organization (NESO) has asked the Centre to implement the Inner Line Permit (ILP) in all the states of the North East besides exempting the region from the purview of the Indo Nepal treaty of Friendship, 1950 instead of imposing the CAB. 

A delegation of the NESO on Saturday met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi and reiterated its stand against the Citizenship Amendment Bill citing that it is against the indigenous people of the NE region. 

According to the delegation, the CAB will only add to the influx problem and ultimately the indigenous people will become minorities in their own land. 

Chairman of the NESO, Samuel Jyrwa informed that the Centre has assured that the NE states having the existing protective laws and provisions like the Eastern Bengal Frontier Regulation, 1873 and the Sixth Schedule wouldn’t be affected by the consequences of CAB. 

He however said the NESO felt that the Centre should take the entire NE region as one whole block and if some states are affected as a result of CAB then sooner or later the other NE states will also be affected simultaneously. 

“NESO demands that instead of imposing CAB, the Centre should rather implement ILP in all the states of NE, exempt the region from the purview of the Indo Nepal Treaty of Friendship, 1950, implementation of NRC in all NE states with a base year which might differ depending upon the unique history of each state, constitutional safeguards with rights over land and natural resources amongst others,” Jyrwa said.

He said that the NESO in the meeting has also urged the home minister not to go ahead with the current amendment of the Citizenship Act but to respect the sentiments of the indigenous citizens of the NE region. 

The chairman further informed that during the meeting, NESO also questioned the failure of the Centre to invite the All Manipur Students’ Union (AMSU) and other stakeholders of Manipur which according to the organization is a gross injustice to the indigenous people of Manipur. 

Meanwhile, the other constituents of NESO which include Twipara Students Federation (TSF), Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP), All Arunachal Pradesh Students Union (AAPSU), Khasi Students Union (KSU) and Garo Students Union (GSU) also met Shah and expressed their strong opposition against the Bill.