Current Affairs Brain Booster for UPSC & State PCS Examination

Topic: Inner Line Permit in Manipur

Why in News?

• Manipur has started issuing Inner Line Permit (ILP) system to non-indigenous population entering the state.
• As many as six counters have been opened and operational at Mao, Jiribam, Jessami, Moreh, Behiang and Singjowl.
• According to a gazette notification dated December 31, 2019, the Manipur Inner Line Permit Guidelines, 2019 shall apply to the entire state.

Background

• A concept drawn by colonial rulers, the Inner Line separated the tribal-populated hill areas in the Northeast from the plains.
• To enter and stay for any period in these areas, Indian citizens from other areas need an Inner Line Permit (ILP).
• The concept originates from the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation Act (BEFR), 1873.
• The policy of exclusion first came about as a response to the reckless expansion of British entrepreneurs into new lands which threatened British political relations with the hill tribes.
• The BEFR prohibits an outsider’s — “British subject or foreign citizen” — entry into the are beyond the Inner Line without a pass and his purchase of land there. On the other hand, the Inner Line also protects the commercial interests of the British from the tribal communities.
• After Independence, the Indian government replaced “British subjects” with “Citizen of India”.

Inner Line Permit

• The ILP is a travel document which a non-native is required to carry while he or she is traveling to any of the states where it is enforced.
• It permits stay only for a limited period and the basic reason behind its implementation was to protect indigenous tribal cultures.
• The Inner Line Permit comes into effect in Manipur from January 1, 2020, making it the fourth north-eastern state after Nagaland, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh to come under the ILP regime.
• Pressure groups in the northeast view this permit as a shield against the entry of illegal immigrants.

Four Types of ILPs

• Special Category Permit: It will be issued by the Home Department for “special category people, including government contractors, investors, and traders with business establishments in the state or intending to do business in the state”. The ILP would be issued for a period of three years subject to renewal. The person seeking this category of ILP will have to pay a fee of Rs 5,000 in the first instance and Rs 10,000 during renewals.
• Regular Permit: The regular permit is for individuals who visit the state regularly and to be sponsored by any permanent resident of the state. This permit will be issued by the deputy commissioners for Rs 500 and initially give six months period to visitors.
• Temporary Permit: The temporary permit is for tourists, business representatives or those who visit for a short period (subject to the production of valid identity card) and is issued initially for a period of fifteen days at the cost of Rs 100. The permit is to be issued by the deputy resident commissioner or OSD of Manipur Bhawan New Delhi, Kolkata, Guwahati among others in addition to deputy commissioners.
• Labour Permit: This is to be issued by Deputy Labour Commissioner or any other competent authority under the state government for group of labourers brought by any contractor or firm, or company or individual for construction work. This ILP will be issued to the labourers for a maximum period of six months in the first instance, and could be further extended for another six months.

Exemption from ILPs

• The ILP system shall not apply to foreigners, All India Service officers belonging to Manipur, all central government officers and state government officers, employees of central co-operation and government undertaking, including their families.
• Paramilitary forces, armed forces and their families would also be relieved from the purview of the regulation including executive members of recognised national parties, state political parties and students admitted to various educational institutions in Manipur possessing valid identity.