labourers from outside as the State alone can’t provide workers from its small-size indigenous population for construction of these various schemes and projects. So also the case with the road construction that has been going on all over the state. It requires workmen from outside the State, otherwise all these projects and developmental works just cannot be taken up or implemented.

 Likewise in the private sector, the mineral mine owners and also the business community depend upon the labourers and workmen from outside - different states of the country and even from neighbouring countries including Nepal and Bangladesh. The skyline of capital Shillong and other towns in the state and even in the rural areas is gradually changing, as people are opting for the construction of cement buildings and even high-rise structures openly flouting the laid down norms for such construction works. It is here again that most of the workmen employed are from outside the state, which include even illegal migrants.

It is estimated that at present there are about 19 lakh non-indigenous people residing in the State against 14 lakh indigenous people, which should cause a concern.

Therefore, the state government alone has no controlling power on the influx. Most of the workmen employed have stayed back and mixed with the local indigenous population thus creating the danger of upsetting the natural demographic pattern, thus endangering the social pattern and set up. The phenomenon is also having a cultural impact and above all has reduced the indigenous population to a minority and the state cannot afford to fall into such a predicament. This flood-gate of the inflow of outside population has therefore need to be checked and controlled in a right and balanced manner without affecting the pace of development activities, but at the same time safeguarding the inner most interests of the indigenous population.

The people in general are aware of such a situation and fear that it may lead to an alarming proportion. It is, therefore, normal to see in news reports time and again that groups of youngmen having made detection of the transportation of labourers from outside and sent them back after finding no valid document that could  prove the antecedents of those entering the State.

It may also be mentioned that over the past years, many people had taken refuge in Shillong and its vicinity and have also made their second home, because of conflicts and wars, like the Tibetan uprising, the Mizo Hills insurgency, the Bangladesh Liberation war. The people who were  rendered homeless by these adversities , found safe a heaven in Shillong and since have settled down and thrived in this abode of the clouds.

However, though there should be a close tab on the floating population engaged in business and other activities, some others categories of outside people such as students coming from different parts of the North Eastern Region to pursue their studies in Shillong, tourist/visitors should not be subjected to any sort of harassment. Otherwise, it will defeat the efforts to encourage the flow of foreign and domestic tourists, visiting different parts of the State. As it is well known that tourism besides being a smokeless industry, can greatly contribute to the state exchequer and remains one of the main sources of revenue for the State government.

Other states of the region are facing similar problems. States like Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram have implemented regulations of the entry of outsiders into these states, under the inner line permit system. How far  has the system been effective in those states  needs a close examination before Meghalaya adopt the same mechanism of ILP  to regulate flow of outsiders to the State. We need to know whether this system has had an adverse affect on genuine visitors, going into those states for business trips and specially tourists. An in-depth study and a close  analysis should be made as to the success or otherwise of the ILP system.

As far as Meghalaya is concerned, the ILP system, should be targeted primarily against the influx of labourers and illegal migrants. The most important factor is the way in which system is designed to be implemented. The checking of vehicles at various entrance and check points along national highways, is a casual practice that has been  going on, carried out by inadequate staff. Therefore implementation of an ILP system, would not be effective as desired, if the implementation machinery remains weak plagued with many loop holes that will defeat the purpose of preventing illegal entry of any person or group of persons to the State.

A more effective step would be to conduct regular checks at work sites such as mining areas work places and factories of persons having the permits and other documents to prove their bonafied identities. Such a system should also have a time-bound limit for stay of the workmen and labourers in the State over a certain period of time.

However, it is the people themselves through their traditional dorbar that can be more effective in detecting and controlling of influx in their respective localities raijs and hima under their territorial jurisdiction. However, these traditional institutions need a specific constitutional sanction in performing such a task in which powers conferred by the State government and district councils would not be competent enough in empowering the traditional institutions of such responsibilities.

Other than the inner line permit, some other methods have  also been mooted out such as the ‘three card system’ of identification. Whatever the case may be, the state government had taken the initiative of forming a high-level committee to consider the implementation of the inner line permit system, in which district council members and several social organizations of the state have been incorporated in the committee. The committee in its second meeting held in Shillong has unanimously decided upon the implementation of the inner line permit system. It was presided over by the deputy chief minister Bindo M Lanong. The meeting had drafted a report to be submitted to the state government for its perusal.

It is here again that most of the workmen employed are from outside the state, which include even illegal migrants

The dorbar of the traditional heads of administrative institutions headed by its chairman John Kharshiing has also supported the idea of containing influx and has cited that such an Act had already existed under the name of the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation Act 1873, on which several state in the region had based their inner line permit system regulations.

In fact, the state government in 2001 when Late E K Mawlong was the chief minister, had constituted a fact-finding committee to study the inner line permit system. But  even after more than ten years nothing concrete has come out of the effort.
 
A careful study is therefore needed taking in view and consideration of all aspects of the entire matter in the protection and preservation of the interests of the indigenous and genuine people of the state from the ongoing surge of influx specially of illegal migrants.

labourers from outside as the State alone can’t provide workers from its small-size indigenous population for construction of these various schemes and projects. So also the case with the road construction that has been going on all over the state. It requires workmen from outside the State, otherwise all these projects and developmental works just cannot be taken up or implemented.

 Likewise in the private sector, the mineral mine owners and also the business community depend upon the labourers and workmen from outside - different states of the country and even from neighbouring countries including Nepal and Bangladesh. The skyline of capital Shillong and other towns in the state and even in the rural areas is gradually changing, as people are opting for the construction of cement buildings and even high-rise structures openly flouting the laid down norms for such construction works. It is here again that most of the workmen employed are from outside the state, which include even illegal migrants.

It is estimated that at present there are about 19 lakh non-indigenous people residing in the State against 14 lakh indigenous people, which should cause a concern.

Therefore, the state government alone has no controlling power on the influx. Most of the workmen employed have stayed back and mixed with the local indigenous population thus creating the danger of upsetting the natural demographic pattern, thus endangering the social pattern and set up. The phenomenon is also having a cultural impact and above all has reduced the indigenous population to a minority and the state cannot afford to fall into such a predicament. This flood-gate of the inflow of outside population has therefore need to be checked and controlled in a right and balanced manner without affecting the pace of development activities, but at the same time safeguarding the inner most interests of the indigenous population.

The people in general are aware of such a situation and fear that it may lead to an alarming proportion. It is, therefore, normal to see in news reports time and again that groups of youngmen having made detection of the transportation of labourers from outside and sent them back after finding no valid document that could  prove the antecedents of those entering the State.

It may also be mentioned that over the past years, many people had taken refuge in Shillong and its vicinity and have also made their second home, because of conflicts and wars, like the Tibetan uprising, the Mizo Hills insurgency, the Bangladesh Liberation war. The people who were  rendered homeless by these adversities , found safe a heaven in Shillong and since have settled down and thrived in this abode of the clouds.

However, though there should be a close tab on the floating population engaged in business and other activities, some others categories of outside people such as students coming from different parts of the North Eastern Region to pursue their studies in Shillong, tourist/visitors should not be subjected to any sort of harassment. Otherwise, it will defeat the efforts to encourage the flow of foreign and domestic tourists, visiting different parts of the State. As it is well known that tourism besides being a smokeless industry, can greatly contribute to the state exchequer and remains one of the main sources of revenue for the State government.

Other states of the region are facing similar problems. States like Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram have implemented regulations of the entry of outsiders into these states, under the inner line permit system. How far  has the system been effective in those states  needs a close examination before Meghalaya adopt the same mechanism of ILP  to regulate flow of outsiders to the State. We need to know whether this system has had an adverse affect on genuine visitors, going into those states for business trips and specially tourists. An in-depth study and a close  analysis should be made as to the success or otherwise of the ILP system.

As far as Meghalaya is concerned, the ILP system, should be targeted primarily against the influx of labourers and illegal migrants. The most important factor is the way in which system is designed to be implemented. The checking of vehicles at various entrance and check points along national highways, is a casual practice that has been  going on, carried out by inadequate staff. Therefore implementation of an ILP system, would not be effective as desired, if the implementation machinery remains weak plagued with many loop holes that will defeat the purpose of preventing illegal entry of any person or group of persons to the State.

A more effective step would be to conduct regular checks at work sites such as mining areas work places and factories of persons having the permits and other documents to prove their bonafied identities. Such a system should also have a time-bound limit for stay of the workmen and labourers in the State over a certain period of time.

However, it is the people themselves through their traditional dorbar that can be more effective in detecting and controlling of influx in their respective localities raijs and hima under their territorial jurisdiction. However, these traditional institutions need a specific constitutional sanction in performing such a task in which powers conferred by the State government and district councils would not be competent enough in empowering the traditional institutions of such responsibilities.

Other than the inner line permit, some other methods have  also been mooted out such as the ‘three card system’ of identification. Whatever the case may be, the state government had taken the initiative of forming a high-level committee to consider the implementation of the inner line permit system, in which district council members and several social organizations of the state have been incorporated in the committee. The committee in its second meeting held in Shillong has unanimously decided upon the implementation of the inner line permit system. It was presided over by the deputy chief minister Bindo M Lanong. The meeting had drafted a report to be submitted to the state government for its perusal.

It is here again that most of the workmen employed are from outside the state, which include even illegal migrants

The dorbar of the traditional heads of administrative institutions headed by its chairman John Kharshiing has also supported the idea of containing influx and has cited that such an Act had already existed under the name of the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation Act 1873, on which several state in the region had based their inner line permit system regulations.

In fact, the state government in 2001 when Late E K Mawlong was the chief minister, had constituted a fact-finding committee to study the inner line permit system. But  even after more than ten years nothing concrete has come out of the effort.
 
A careful study is therefore needed taking in view and consideration of all aspects of the entire matter in the protection and preservation of the interests of the indigenous and genuine people of the state from the ongoing surge of influx specially of illegal migrants.

History Of ILP

History of ILP

In our country a large number of people put on talisman, as they believe that it is capable to work wonders benefitting its possessor. Chemistry in its undeveloped form was known as alchemy in the middle ages, which was in pursuit of the transmutation of baser metals into gold. In Arabic it is called ‘Al kimia’. But to the common people of the Arab countries the word ‘Kimia’ meant what may be termed as a panacea, a remedy for all troubles or a thing capable to make wonders. Here reasons do not play any role, it is sheer belief in something supernatural.

But the belief or conviction that is generated by putting on a talisman or looking for Kimia cannot be wished away. It helps people to get self conviction and self confidence.It had its positive role in pursuit of the desired objective. When hundreds and thousands of people believe in what we may call unreal, it becomes a part of the social psychology. Without taking into consideration the social psychology, reason, however well-argumented will not work to the desired extent.

For sometime there is a debate in this region regarding the feasibility or otherwise for the introduction of the Inner line Regulation as a panacea to stop the influx of not only foreign nationals but also outsiders that is Indian citizens coming from other states of the Union. But from the debate, I have got the impression that very few people are acquainted with the details of the Inner Line Regulation. Why and for what reason the British rulers introduced this Regulation in this part of the country in the nineteenth century, definitely not for the protection of the frontier people, but to safeguard and extend the colonial rulers’ trade or commercial interest and to restrict the commercial interest of the local traders who were British subjects.

In 1872-73 the Statute 32 and 33 Vic, Cap.3, which gives power of summary legislation for backward tracts to the Executive Government was extended to Assam.

It may be recalled that earlier the Assam Raja had the monopoly of trade with the frontier tribes. The British Government encouraged the local traders and also helped them to break the monopoly of the Raja

Alexander Macenzie in his book the North East Frontier of Bengal has clearly stated why the Britishers did not take recourse to permanent occupation and direct management of Abor hills, to that effect the area known as Balipara Frontier tracts and Sadiya Frontier tracts and latter North East Frontier Agency. He said “It is not open to us on the Abor Frontier to have recourse to the policy of permanent occupation and direct management, which we shall find successfully carried out in the Naga, Garrow, Cossyah, Jynteeah  and Chittagong Hills Tracts. To annex the Abor Hills would only bring us into contact with tribes still wilder and less known, nor should we find a resting place for the foot of annexation till we planted it on the plateau of High Asia; perhaps not even then.” (the North – East Frontier or Bengal – page 55 Alexander Mackenzie (A.M.),1984).

The first use of the power of summary legislation given by that Act was passed to a regulation for the Frontier districts. Alexander Mackenzie must be thanked for he frankly stated; “ It had been found that there was pressing necessity of bringing under more stringent  control the commercial relations of our own subjects with the frontier tribes living on the borders of our jurisdiction”.(Ibid, Page 55).

Besides the spread of British tea gardens outside the fiscal limits of the British Government, particularly in Naga hills made the government face “many difficult questions with the hillmen”, and the government came to theconclusion that it was necessary to take special powers and lay down special rules”.

Accordingly a Regulation was drawn up by the Lieutenant Governor, and approved by the Governor, and approved by the Governor General in Council, to give effect to this policy. This regulation gives power to the Lieutenant Governor to prescribe a line, to be called “the inner line”, in each or any of the districts affected beyond which no British subject of certain classes or foreign residents can pass without a license…. Rulers are laid down regarding trade, the possession of land beyond the line and other matters, which gives the Executive Government an effective control. The regulation also provides for the preservation of elephants, and authorizes the government to lay down rules for their capture”.

It may be recalled that earlier the Assam Raja had the monopoly of trade with the frontier tribes. The British Government encouraged the local traders and also helped them to break the monopoly of the Raja. Now inner line was introduced to corner the local traders in the interest of Her Majesty.

So the inner line was introduced in this region under Notification by the erstwhile Government of India, Foreign department dated 30th September 1875, 21st June 1876, and by Notification of Govt. of Bengal on 24th February, 1882, 19th June, 1878, 30th June 1879. This is in a nutshell the history of the “Inner Line”. Regulation, around which many a myths have been created during last one hundred years or so.