Correspondent
KOHIMA, SEP 3 (NPN): The Nagaland Legislative Assembly on Thursday unanimously passed a resolution urging the Centre to review and withdraw, or appropriately relax, the Protected Area Permit (PAP) regime in the State, with chief minister Neiphiu Rio arguing that Nagaland’s present security situation no longer justifies restrictions that could impede tourism, investment and opportunities for the State’s youth.
The resolution, moved by deputy chief minister Y Patton, was adopted through a voice vote.
Participating in the discussion, Rio said the state government fully recognised the Centre’s responsibility for national security, border management and regulation of foreign nationals. However, he stressed that security and development were not competing objectives and that policies had to evolve with changing circumstances.
“Policies must respond to present-day circumstances,” Rio said, arguing that mechanisms created for an earlier period should not become permanent barriers to future generations.
He maintained that Nagaland today is peaceful, stable and increasingly connected with the rest of India and the world. Citing security data, Rio said there were 257 incidents linked to armed groups between 2004 and 2009, resulting in 121 civilian and six security force casualties. In contrast, only eight incidents relating to underground activities were recorded between 2021 and 2026, resulting in four civilian casualties and one security force casualty.
Rio also pointed to Nagaland’s comparatively low crime rate. In 2024, the State recorded a cognizable crime rate of 61.6 per lakh population, the second lowest among States and Union Territories after Dadra and Nagar Haveli, against the national rate of 418.8. Crime against women stood at 5.1 per lakh, compared with the national rate of 64.6. He said the figures demonstrated that Nagaland was among the country’s most peaceful States.
Against this backdrop, Rio questioned the continued application of PAP to Nagaland after the Centre reimposed it in December 2024. He said the State’s geographical disadvantages, mountainous terrain, infrastructure constraints, limited industrialisation and small domestic market made tourism one of the sectors in which Nagaland had a natural advantage.
He stressed that tourism was much more than festivals and scenic attractions, supporting a wide economic chain involving hotels, homestays, restaurants, transporters, tour operators, guides, farmers, artisans, musicians, performers, event managers, craftsmen, designers and entrepreneurs.
A government survey during the 2023 Hornbill Festival recorded more than Rs 2.76 crore in hotel accommodation revenue in 10 days, demonstrating, Rio said, the wider economic benefits of tourism spending. The State has also invested in tourism infrastructure, connectivity, destination development, policies and events, while private entrepreneurs have invested in homestays, hotels, restaurants and travel businesses, generating livelihoods for thousands.
Rio highlighted the growth of the Hornbill Festival, with its 27th edition scheduled for December 2026. Visitor numbers rose from just over 28,000 in 2010 to more than 2.14 lakh in 2025, an increase of over seven times. The festival has evolved into an economic, cultural and international platform, supporting tourism and hospitality while providing opportunities for artists and entrepreneurs.
Its international profile has also expanded. Three countries participated as partner countries in 2023, rising to seven by 2025. Business and investment roundtables held alongside the festival have facilitated potential partnerships in tourism, agriculture, education, human resources, technology, culture and the creative economy.
Rio therefore argued that the continuation of PAP had consequences extending well beyond inconvenience to foreign tourists. It could affect investment, international partnerships, cultural exchanges and diplomatic participation. The terminology itself, he said, could create an impression among foreign visitors that Nagaland was unsafe or inaccessible, while additional procedures and uncertainty could lead investors and international organisations to consider alternative destinations.
Foreign tourist arrivals at Kisama rose from 284 in 2010 to 2,528 in 2025, with most of the increase occurring between 2011 and 2023, when PAP had been relaxed.
The Chief Minister said the State had repeatedly taken up the matter with the Centre, including through Cabinet deliberations and discussions at the highest levels. He referred to the 2025 Hornbill Festival, when PAP relaxation was granted only immediately before the event. Although the State appreciated the decision, Rio said international visitors, investors, diplomatic missions, artists and institutions needed months to make arrangements involving visas, tickets, accommodation and official approvals.
He called for a permanent and practical solution, rather than temporary relaxations announced immediately before major events.
Rio clarified that Nagaland was not seeking an absence of regulation but “better regulation”. He proposed using technology to combine security with easier travel through an integrated system for registering and monitoring foreign visitors.
Under such a system, passport and visa details, travel itineraries, accommodation and duration of stay could be digitally recorded and made available to authorised security and administrative agencies. District administrations, police and tourism agencies could operate through a coordinated mechanism. He described this as a practical and modern approach to balancing security and development.
Rio also framed the PAP issue as one concerning Nagaland’s youth, who increasingly seek opportunities in tourism, sports, music, technology, entrepreneurship, hospitality, fashion and the creative economy. He said successive generations had already been constrained by geography, history, limited connectivity and inadequate opportunities, and unnecessary restrictions should not impose another barrier.
He added that Nagaland’s artists, musicians, sportspersons, entrepreneurs and cultural ambassadors contribute to India’s diversity and international image, while the State’s festivals and cultural traditions strengthen the country’s soft power.
Rio said the concern over PAP was shared by tribal organisations, civil society groups, tourism stakeholders, entrepreneurs, investment agencies and other sections of Naga society. He appealed to the Centre to urgently review and withdraw, or appropriately relax, the regime in view of Nagaland’s peaceful environment, developmental needs, tourism potential and the aspirations of its youth.
He also appealed to legislators across political affiliations to support the resolution seeking withdrawal of PAP and restoration of the earlier relaxation. “Security and development can go together,” he said, adding that “openness and national interest can go together.”
Initiating the discussion, Minister Temjen Imna Along traced the PAP to the Foreigners (Protected Areas) Order of 1958, which covered Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland. PAP was relaxed in Nagaland from January 1, 2011, initially for one year and subsequently extended several times. However, an MHA circular dated December 17, 2024, reimposed the regime in all three States.
Along said the reimposition had particularly affected Nagaland’s tourism sector, investment prospects and opportunities for its creative youth. As Tourism and Higher Education Minister, he argued that Nagaland should not be viewed through the same security lens as Manipur, which has experienced serious violence, or Mizoram, which has faced an influx of refugees from neighbouring countries.
He described Nagaland as a peaceful State with limited resources but strong human resources and said the Centre could appreciate its distinct circumstances. He maintained that the State Government was equally concerned about national security and integrity and could take responsibility for monitoring foreign visitors entering Nagaland for tourism and other purposes.
Along also recalled difficulties faced by foreign Christian visitors in the past, referring to the denial of entry to Franklin Graham, son of evangelist Billy Graham, which he said had hurt the sentiments of the Naga Christian population.
Jakhalu links PAP to investment: Advisor Hekani Jakhalu linked PAP with Viksit Bharat 2047 and the Centre’s Act East Policy, saying its reimposition had given a “sudden jolt” to economic growth, connectivity, investment and regional engagement, besides creating a “fear psychosis” about Nagaland in mainland India.
Referring to the BHAVYA Scheme, she said Nagaland was still struggling to secure investment commitments despite efforts to attract companies. She said what worked for Manipur might not necessarily work for Nagaland or Mizoram, which have different local contexts.
Jakhalu said 190 youths trained through the Roon Training Centre were employed in Japan’s manufacturing sector, with 11 more lined up and 20 preparing for opportunities in Germany.
“Just as Gujarat deserves investors, Nagaland deserves investors too,” she said, urging reconsideration of PAP. “We do not want to miss the bus. We want the youth of Nagaland to be on that bus with the rest of India towards Viksit Bharat 2047,” she said.
Naiba recalls Naga history: LJP(RV) legislator Naiba Konyak highlighted Naga history, referring to the Naga Club’s 1929 memorandum to the Simon Commission, the Naga Hills’ designation as an “Excluded Area” in 1935 and the Naga declaration of independence in 1947.
He also recalled the Battle of Kohima and establishment of the first army camp in his village, Changlangshun, in 1953.
Konyak urged the Centre to uphold Article 371A and respect Naga customary laws, culture and traditions. He said easing PAP would promote tourism and economic development, while continued restrictions could affect the State’s aspirations.