AAPSU rejects Mising body's demand for ILP exemption in Arunachal

The All Arunachal Pradesh Students' Union (AAPSU) has strongly defended the Inner Line Permit (ILP) system and rejected the demand by the Assam-based Takam Mising Porin Kebang (TMPK) for exemption of the Mising community from the permit regime in Arunachal Pradesh.

Responding to TMPK's recent opposition to the application of ILP on Misings entering the state, AAPSU president Meje Taku said the ILP system is a constitutional and statutory safeguard designed to protect the indigenous people of Arunachal Pradesh and cannot be diluted on the basis of historical or ethnolinguistic ties.

While acknowledging the longstanding cultural and historical connections between the Mising community and several indigenous tribes of Arunachal Pradesh, including the Adi, Nyishi, Galo, Apatani and Tagin communities, AAPSU maintained that such ties do not confer exemption from the state's legal framework.

"The Inner Line Permit system is not a matter of sentiment or community preference. It is a constitutional and statutory protection guaranteed to the indigenous peoples of Arunachal Pradesh," Taku said.

The student body emphasized that the ILP system derives its legal basis from the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873 and is further reinforced by constitutional provisions, including Article 371(H), which grants special responsibilities to the Governor regarding law and order in the state.

AAPSU argued that all non-Arunachal Pradesh Scheduled Tribe (non-APST) individuals are required to obtain an ILP for entry and residence in the state, irrespective of historical associations or ethnic affiliations.

The union cautioned that granting exemptions based on historical or ethnolinguistic considerations could create a precedent that may weaken the permit system, which it described as a vital mechanism for protecting indigenous rights and demographic interests.

"If historical ties become the criterion for exemption, it would weaken a protection mechanism that has existed for more than 150 years and remains vital for safeguarding the interests of the indigenous people of Arunachal Pradesh," Taku said.

Appealing for restraint, AAPSU urged organisations and individuals on both sides to avoid statements that could inflame sentiments or disrupt communal harmony. It reiterated that its stand was not directed against the Mising community, which it described as a proud indigenous community with a rich cultural heritage.

The union also called upon the Arunachal Pradesh government to ensure strict, impartial and uniform enforcement of the ILP system across the state while encouraging all stakeholders to engage constructively within the existing legal framework.