The NSF will organise a two-day national seminar on BEFR, 1873, and ILP implementation on August 28-29 in Dimapur, bringing together legal experts and academicians.
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DIMAPUR — The Naga Students' Federation (NSF) will organise a two-day national seminar on the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation (BEFR), 1873, on August 28 and 29 at Town Hall, Dimapur, to create greater awareness about the historical and legal significance of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) system.
The seminar, organised through the NSF’s Inner Line Regulation Commission (ILRC), was announced at a press conference at Hotel Saramati on Saturday.
NSF president Mteisuding Heraang described it as a first-of-its-kind event in Nagaland, bringing together legal experts, academicians and other stakeholders to discuss the provisions and relevance of the BEFR and ways to strengthen ILP implementation.
Heraang said the NSF constituted the independent ILRC during its fourth Federal Assembly on December 4, 2024, specifically to focus on ILP implementation and enforcement.
He said the NSF and ILRC had submitted representations to the government on ILP-related issues but were yet to receive a response.
Read more: Naga Students’ Federation to hold 2-day national seminar on BEFR
The seminar will feature senior advocates Prashant Bhushan and Shomona Khanna, who are expected to address legal aspects of the BEFR and ILP system.
Twenty seats have also been reserved for members of the general public to attend the proceedings.
ILRC chairman NSN Lotha said the seminar was not intended to target or accuse any establishment but to facilitate an informed discussion on the significance and effective implementation of the BEFR.
Lotha said the NSF had advocated enforcement of the BEFR since the 1970s and stressed the need to create greater public awareness about the provisions available under the regulation.
Citing Mizoram as an example, he said the state had adopted a more stringent approach to ILP enforcement, with an ILP issuing counter reportedly established at the newly inaugurated railway station in Sairang from the first day of operations.
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He said the NSF was concerned that the lackadaisical implementation of the BEFR in Nagaland had contributed to indigenous people losing economic space to non-locals.
However, he clarified that the federation was not opposed to genuine Indian citizens coming to Nagaland.
Lotha described proper ILP implementation as an “economic life jacket” for the Naga people, saying it could help protect indigenous interests and opportunities for future generations.
He said successive governments had constituted committees to review ILP implementation and that several had made important recommendations. The seminar would seek to consolidate these recommendations into a comprehensive and workable framework for submission to the government.
Lotha also called for a separate and centralised implementing authority, saying the current system had loopholes and lacked a permanent administrative mechanism for systematic ILP checking. He said enforcement was often dependent on temporary arrangements and the voluntary efforts of police and administrative personnel.
The seminar will examine administrative challenges, existing loopholes and possible reforms, while also considering the positive and negative implications of stricter enforcement.
Experts and professors from Mizoram, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh have been invited to share their experiences of implementing the BEFR and related regulations.
An expert from Assam will present the mainland perspective and discuss the relevance of the ILP in a globalised world.
Lotha said legal experts would also examine whether any provisions of the BEFR, 1873, conflict with or infringe upon fundamental rights.
“We are going to be very truthful in this discussion and open to all criticisms,” he said, expressing hope that the seminar would produce a documented roadmap for future ILP implementation in Nagaland.
He reiterated that while the NSF seeks stronger enforcement of the BEFR and ILP provisions, the system should not discriminate against or exploit genuine citizens from other parts of the country.