To keep non-locals at bay, simply urge Nagas to work hard

 ILP is linked to non-local bashing and is a 'sacred cow'

To keep non-locals at bay, simply urge Nagas to work hard 

New Delhi 

"For here we do not have a permanent city, but we are looking for the city that is 

to come".

- Hebrews 13:14

The Inner Line Permit (ILP) as an administrative measure is a sacred cow and also like the proverbial hot potato. No state government and state leaders in Nagaland can speak out against it.

It is also a basic and essential tool to keep Nagas - that is, Scheduled Tribes - protected and not being outnumbered by non-locals or by people from plains.

Women and others moving in and out of Bengaluru : File snap 

But there are two broad categories -- first, the genuine Indian citizens from across India who landin Nagaland especially for jobs like millions do in cities such as Mumbai, New Delhi, Pune, Bengaluru or Hyderabad and outskirts of Delhi - that is the national capital region. 

The second group is illegal immigrants especially Bengali Muslims from Bangladesh -- who pour into Nagaland and other north eastern states and even outside in several mainstream cities with various kinds of patronage. 

In Assam, the parties such as the AIUDF and Congress were once generally given out as immigrant (Bangladeshi) friendly parties. Of course in neighbouring West Bengal, the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress is notoriously infamous for its alleged Muslim appeasement policies.

The ULFA leaders took up arms to protect Assamese interest ran hotels in Dhaka. 

Various Naga and other militant outfits operated at ease from Bangladesh for years. 

The BJP under Modi has piloted the much talked about CAA Bill and this new law helps non-Muslims and those including Parsis, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists and Jains from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan stay on and get citizenship in India.

In Assam, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma knows the adverse fallout the CAA can have on BJP's poll prospects. But in West Bengal, the BJP thinks it can muster considerable political gains.

The Nagaland Government's new rates for ILP for different categories has come following some pressures from students and other organisations. None can blame the Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and his government for taking it up at this juncture especially because there have been developments in Bangladesh recently.

One cannot have issues with new enhanced rates for ILPs for different categories. After all, a cash-starved administration may get some revenue especially through online ILP mechanisms.

But there are other issues to debate. Human beings as God's creation know how to handle hurdles and often reconcile with realities faster than people themselves think they are capable of.

There are chances now several non-locals, especially middle class Hindus will try to move out and find shelters in nearby hubs such as Khatkhati, Jorhat, Golaghat, Borpathar and other places such as Silchar, Hailakandi, Lumding and places in upper Assam.

A few years back when R S Pandey, former Nagaland Chief Secretary, was interlocutor for the Naga talks -these issues and related ones had come on the table.

A section of intellectuals and even others believed that it would be rather “most appropriate time” to discuss and debate about some of the complex constitutional provisions and the future roadmap for development.

One argument put forward was that the Article 371 (A) guarantees that no act of Parliament shall apply to the State of Nagaland in respect of the religious or social practices of the Nagas and the customary laws and procedure. But the elephant in the room used to be the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation Act 1873.

One refrain was this was more ‘anti-investment friendly’ than the Article 371 (A).

However, there is “huge emotive sentiment” attached to the BEFR Act and Inner Line Permits in the region.

The student organisations and others have always suggested that the ILP norms should be implemented strictly. 

But it also often comes out that as a constitutional tool the ILP or for that matter BEFR Act have failed to stop the ‘influx’ of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants.

Like other northeastern states, Bangladeshi immigrants have allegedly 'found place' to stay and thrive in some parts of Nagaland also. Dimapur, Niuland and adjoining places are certainly among the few places.

The existing systems thus are seen as 'needless' paper trails and are virtually reduced to a farce.

According to some retired Babus in Delhi, the BEFR is particularly seen as only reminiscent of yesteryear's permit raj. This is something synonymous with failure.

But my take on the ILP issue is always that it is actually linked to White Collar Job syndrome and also another malady called shy away from hard work. 

Outsiders will come for jobs as long as there is a vacuum for the workforce. In Mumbai, milk and vegetable businesses are dominated by people from the north and henceIndia's dream city cannot do away with Bhaias.  

Do we need to identify such sectors in Nagaland ? The list will be much bigger.

Do not ask for ILP or any such paper; simply encourage locals to work hard and not to shy away from behaving responsibly with whatever jobs you have.

Non-locals or the 'plain manu' will run away and stay miles away from river Dhansiri.

Human mobility has been a reality since the call of Abraham, the exodus from Egypt and also the wanderings in the desert of Egypt. 

True, the debate about the movement of people seen differently from the economic system that permits mobility of capital and financial transfers will go on. 

ends