HITO demands Himanta Biswa Sarma to push ILP extension in Assam, Meghalaya

The Hynñiewtrep Integrated Territorial Organization (HITO) has urged Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, in his capacity as Chairman of the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), to take the lead in demanding the extension of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) regime to the entire Northeast, including Assam and Meghalaya, citing rising security, demographic, and sovereignty concerns.

In a memorandum submitted to the Chief Minister, HITO expressed strong concern over recent remarks made by Bangladesh’s interim head Muhammad Yunus during a visit to China, where he reportedly referred to Bangladesh as the “only guardian of the ocean” for India’s landlocked Northeastern states and repeatedly mentioned the strategic Siliguri Corridor, often called the “Chicken Neck.”

The organisation described the remarks as misleading, objectionable, and inimical to India’s national interest, particularly in the context of the Northeast. It said such statements, when viewed alongside the unstable political situation in Bangladesh and frequent detection of illegal Bangladeshi nationals across Northeastern states, raise serious security and demographic concerns for the region.

HITO said it agreed with the firm response issued earlier by Chief Minister Sarma, noting that it resonated strongly with public sentiment in the Northeast. The organisation pointed out that Bangladesh itself has two narrow and vulnerable corridors, making such commentary strategically imprudent.

In the memorandum, HITO called for the extension of the Inner Line Permit under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873, to the entire Northeast. At present, ILP is applicable in Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram, Manipur, and Sikkim, the latter in the form of a Protected Area Permit.

Given the prevailing circumstances, the organisation said it has become imperative to extend ILP to Meghalaya and Assam and strengthen its implementation across the region to protect indigenous land, identity, and cultural heritage. While acknowledging that ILP is not a complete solution to infiltration and illegal immigration, HITO maintained that it would serve as an important regulatory mechanism to monitor and restrict the movement of illegal foreigners.

The organisation urged the Assam government and the BJP-led dispensation at the Centre to take up the issue in the larger interest of national security, demographic balance, and the constitutional rights of indigenous communities in the Northeast. HITO also sought an opportunity to meet the Chief Minister to further elaborate on its concerns.