Mizoram Govt may move SC over HC order on ILP

Mizoram Govt may move SC over HC order on ILP

AIZAWL, June 23 – Mizoram Government would move the Supreme Court, if the need arose, to challenge the interim order passed by the Gauhati High Court restricting the State Government from arrest and deportation of non-tribals staying in the State without valid Inner Line Permit (ILP), Chief Minister Zoramthanga said here today. “We will tell the High Court that the ILP system is extremely pertinent for safeguarding the Mizo people,” Zoramthanga said, adding, the system was provided in the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulations, 1873 to safeguard the interests of the tribals. The Gauhati High Court issued the interim order on June 13 after hearing a public interest litigation filed by the North Eastern Plain People Traders’ and Youth Federation of Assam’s Cachar district. Meanwhile, the Young Mizo Association (YMA), the most powerful organisation of the Mizos, urged the High Court to withdraw the interim order and decided to observe a ‘protest day’ against the order. The decision to observe the protest day was taken at a meeting, chaired by Home Minister Tawnluia, today in which representatives of major political parties, NGOs, student bodies, Mizoram Chamber of Commerce and Mizoram Kohhran Hruaitute Committee, a congolemate of 13 major church denominations were present. The date of the protest day would be fixed later. The meeting also decided to ask for a one-day special session of the State Assembly to deliberate on the interim order of the High Court. A delegation of major political parties and NGOs would consult with Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland where the ILP system is in force, the YMA said. “The Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulations, 1873, which provided that all non-tribals to enter tribal areas have to have ILP was enacted by the British India Government to safeguard the interests of the tribals and also protect them from being assimilated”, the YMA said. – PTI