After CAA: BJP triggers fresh debate on ILP

New Delhi: With BJP general secretary Ram Madhav disclosing that he obtained permit to enter Manipur,  BJP has triggered new debate on Inner Line Permit (ILP),  following the by-now rancorous Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). 

In the light of the country-wide opposition to CAA,  stronger in the northeastern states,  the Meghalaya government has cleared a resolution asking the Centre to bring Manipur also under the jurisdiction of ILP in order to be exempted from CAA.

The resolution,  which demands application of ILP that began with Manipur and to be applied to Meghalaya,   will be moved in the assembly on Thursday.  The Centre has already made it clear that  in addition to Manipur,  Tripura would also be brought under the ILP exemption.  Thus the number of states where ILP will apply,  will go up to five.

The Inner Line Permit bars entry of Indian citizens to the listed states except those who obtain a permit will be allowed entry.  As per the Bengal Eastern border controls introduced by the British in 1873,  this was in force only in Arunachal Pradesh,  Mizoram and Nagaland.  After independence, in 1950 the Centre amended ILP so as to protect the locals of these states protection from migration.

However,  Bhimapur in Nagaland and  Shillong in Meghalaya are outside the ILP jurisdiction.  It was on 11th of this month that Amit shah informed the Lok Sabha about applying ILP to Manipur and Tripura. And for Manipur,  President Ram Nath Kovind signed the special order the very next day itself.