NSF submits memo to Governor on BEFR

Kohima, Jul 21 (UNI) The Naga Students' Federation (NSF) today took out a protest rally here and submitted a representation to the Nagaland Governor, protesting against the move to scrap the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulations (BEFR), 1873.

Meanwhile, the Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP) in Mizoram and the All Arunachal Pradesh Students' Union (AAPSU) also took out rallies in their respective states in support of the BEFR.

Addressing the rally here this morning, NSF president Imchatoba Imchen said the BEFR, which had facilitated the Inner Line Permits (ILPs), was for the protection of the ethnic people of Nagaland, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh.

''Any attempt to scrap this Act will be harmful for the ethnic identity of the people of the states,'' he said.

He claimed that the ethnic groups in Tripura and Sikkim had ''lost their identity and rights in their own land due to invasion of immigrants, who had outnumbered the ethnic people.'' He said the representation to the Governor will be forwarded to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and accordingly their protests will be recorded.

He said in the meeting with the MZP delegation, led by Mizoram Law Minister H Rammawi, which was on a visit to Nagaland, it was decided to stage protest rallies and demonstrations in the three states simultaneously.

Presently, all non-indigenous people of Nagaland, Mizoram and Arunchal Pradesh need ILPs to enter the respective states under the BEFR.

However, following a Public Interest Litigation (PIL), Gauhati High Court, in an interim order on July 12, stayed deportation of some non-Mizos from Mizoram for not possessing the ILPs and asked the Mizoram government to show cause why the BEFR Act should not be scrapped from the state.

UNI AS DPM RD 1322