Following demands for stronger Inner Line Permit (ILP) regulations for protection of the rights of the indigenous tribal people, the Arunachal Pradesh government will create a dedicated ILP Department. “In principle, Arunachal Pradesh will now move towards creating a separate dedicated ILP Department, a major step towards strengthening the ILP system and protection of indigenous rights,” said Chief Minister Pema Khandu after a Consultative Meeting on Indigenous Tribal Rights, ILP and APST matters on Wednesday. Student leaders, legal experts, representatives of political parties, CBOs and civil society organizations attended the meeting.
The meeting also decided that seven-member delegations from Arunachal Indigenous Tribes Forum, AAPSU, ST Bachao Andolan Committee and legal experts will hold a high-level follow-up meeting on May 29 to give final shape to a future roadmap in this regard. The decision followed the enforcement of a 36-hour shutdown on May 14 by the ST Bachao Andolan Committee, a local organisation. The shutdown affected normal life in several parts of the State bordering Assam, specifically in Itanagar and Naharlagun. The ILP, issued under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation of 1873, is a temporary travel document that Indians who are not permanent residents of Arunachal Pradesh must possess to enter the State. Community-based and student organizations have been pressuring the State government to make the document forgery-proof.
