GUWAHATI: Home minister Amit Shah — in separate meetings with Mizoram chief minister Zoramthanga, NGOs and civil society organisations in Aizawl on Saturday — assured that a special clause will be incorporated in the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill so that their state, along with Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh, is not affected by settlement of people from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who are granted Indian citizenship.
The three states are governed by the Inner Line Permit (ILP) system that regulates the entry of people from other states.
“The home minister has decided that a kind of special clause will be incorporated in the proposed bill that will have special provision for Mizoram. The home ministry wants us to propose the special clause before the bill is introduced in Parliament,” said Zoramthanga after his meeting with Shah. The special clause will incorporate the ILP, he added.
Vanlalruata, chairman of Mizo NGO Cordination Committee, added: “We have been assured that the ILP will be there and will continue to safeguard us against foreign infiltrators. It will be applicable to other NE states as well where the ILP is in force.” He added that Shah has agreed to discuss the draft legislation before taking it to Parliament.
“Shah said the ILP regime would be strengthened so that the Citizenship Amendment Bill does not have adverse effects in the state,” said a statement issued by the committee.
The ILP is an official travel document issued by the Government of India to grant permission for inward travel of an Indian citizen into a protected area for a limited time period. It is obligatory for Indians to obtain permission to enter the protected areas residing outside Mizoram, Nagaland and ArunRead More – Source
