Amit Shah begins meeting on CAB with groups from Northeast

Syllabus subtopic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

News: As Home Minister Amit Shah began a series of meetings with stakeholders from Northeastern states on the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) , sources said the government may exempt the Northeast states that have the Inner Line Permit (ILP) regime from the CAB. Exemption of such regions in Northeast states which come under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution is also under consideration.

Prelims focus: About key provisions of the CAB, about ILP

Mains focus: challenges in implementation and its impact on the indigenous people of the Northeast

What does this imply?

This would virtually mean that Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Mizoram may be kept out of the purview of CAB, as well as certain autonomously administered regions in Assam and other states such as Bodo Territorial District Area.

About Citizenship Amendment Bill

The CAB, which aims to give refugees from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan — unless they are Muslim — Indian citizenship, is likely to be introduced in the ongoing session of Parliament.
It is also reliably learnt that some safeguards are likely to be given to Northeastern states.
However, a few days ago, it was brought out in media that an exemption from this citizenship law will be given only to those states where the Inner Line Permit system is enforced. That means the law will not be applied in the states of Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram.

Concerns of other Northeastern states:

Manipur: People believe that if this new law is enacted, there will be huge influx of migrants. So they vociferously demand exemption from this law.

Twelve non-BJP MPs are also learnt to have met PM Modi and urged him to exclude Northeastern states from the Bill. They have argued that if it comes into effect, tribal populations would be vulnerable to displacement.

About Inner Line Permit (ILP):

It is an official travel document issued by the Government of India to allow inward travel of an Indian citizen into a protected/restricted area for a limited period.

The document is an effort by the Government to regulate movement to certain areas located near the international border of India.

ILP system is currently in operation in Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland. Manipur had the ILP system but it was abolished in 1950.

Section 2 of the Bengal Eastern frontier Regulation, 1873 empowers a state government to prescribe ‘Inner line’ to prohibit citizens of India or any class of such citizens going beyond the prescribed line without the pass.

Source: Indian Express

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