Nagaland Public Rights Awareness and Action Forum (NPRAAF) Saturday appealed to the PDA government to immediately enforce Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation (BEFR) 1873 in the whole state. NPRAAF through its information & publicity wing said this was resolved at its executive council meeting on January 11, 2019 in Dimapur.
The forum also appealed to the government to strictly enforce BEFR 1873 in letter and in spirit to safeguard the indigenous rights of the people of Nagaland by issuing official memorandum enforcing Inner Line Permit (ILP) in all the districts.
NPRAAF said the state of Nagaland Act 1962, Sec 26, which came into effect from December 1, 1963, clearly states that all laws enforced would continue to be enforced in the state of Nagaland till repealed or modified.
It said BEFR 1873, which was only applicable in Nagaland, should be strictly enforced, under which Inner Line Permit (ILP) was issued and enforced in the Naga Hills since that time.
Forum maintained that the regulation has become even more necessary to be enforced across Nagaland and not only in Dimapur in the backdrop of Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016. NPRAAF said ILP would identify foreigners especially illegal immigrants, illegal foreigners and refugees from the indigenous Nagas. Further, NPRAAF said the regulation would protect the state from illegal immigrants, illegal foreigners and refugees in applying of Indian citizenship to settle in the state as no other person except the indigenous inhabitant of Nagaland can even acquire Land permanently as per Nagaland Land Revenue Regulation Act 1978.
The forum asserted that state government’s over dependence on Article 371A and taking refuge over it would only spell doom for the Nagas future unless the privileges and patronage the state enjoys under the Government of India was acted upon in deeds.
Reiterating its stance against Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016, NPRAAF, however, appealed to Nagas to work together to prevent minimum damages following the Bill.