Basu Damani speaks to the media on Friday.
- DIMAPUR — Following
the Home department’s notification to extend the provisions of the Bengal
Eastern Frontier Regulation to Chümoukedima, Niuland, and Dimapur districts, a
meeting was held among the minority communities in Nagaland here today at the
conference hall of the deputy commissioner's office.
- The meeting was attended by the presidents and
representatives of Bengali Samaj, Jain Samaj, Agarwal Samaj, Muslim Council
Dimapur, Nagaland Bihari Samaj, Nagaland Bhojpuri Samaj, Sikh Samaj, Dimapur
Gorkha Union, Marwari Samaj, Kerala Samaj, Telugu Samaj, and Utkal Samaj.
- While interacting with media persons following the meeting,
the general secretary of Shree Marwari Samaj, Basu Damani, remarked that the
implementation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) is a state subject, and there are
no objections to its enforcement in Dimapur.
- However, he said that concerns have been raised about
exempting individuals who are already included in the voters’ list and are
permanent residents of Nagaland.
- Damani mentioned that many have also been working in the
state for decades, given that some residents have lived in Nagaland since 1979,
spanning 45 years, and the necessity of obtaining an ILP seems unreasonable for
those individuals.
- Those who hold voter ID cards, are recognised as citizens of
Nagaland, and possess Permanent Resident Certificates (PRCs) should be exempt
from ILP requirements, he asserted.
Also read: Nagaland: Inner Line Permit regime extended to Dimapur, Niuland and Chümoukedima
- He added that during a meeting with the deputy commissioner
of Chümoukedima and later with the chief minister, he had shared the same
suggestion: three senior individuals from each community be selected to certify
individuals who have been residing in Nagaland for an extended period, ensuring
their recognition as citizens of the state and for consideration of exemption
from ILP registration.
