The North East Students' Organisation (NESO) has renewed its demand for the Inner Line Permit (ILP) to be extended across all northeastern states, directly accusing the Union government of committing "political injustice" against the region's indigenous communities.
The organisation argues that by pushing the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) instead of expanding the ILP, the Centre is actively working against the interests of the region's original inhabitants.
Speaking to media persons in Shillong, NESO chairman Samuel Jyrwa did not mince words.
"Instead of implementing the ILP, the Centre is implementing the Citizenship (Amendment) Act to grant citizenship to infiltrators and illegal Bangladeshi migrants who have entered the region, thereby allowing them to become citizens of the country," Jyrwa said.
He called this approach a direct threat to indigenous communities across the Northeast, adding, "This is another instance of political injustice by the Government of India against the indigenous communities of the Northeast."
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The ILP is currently in force in four northeastern states, but Assam, Meghalaya, and Tripura remain outside its scope — a gap that NESO has long sought to close.
Jyrwa pointed out that the Centre's reluctance to extend the permit to these three states raises serious questions with no clear answers.
"It appears that the Government of India is unwilling to introduce the ILP in Meghalaya, Assam or Tripura. The reasons for this remain unclear," he said.
The ILP is an official travel document that restricts entry of outsiders into protected states, and is widely seen as a key tool for preserving indigenous demographics in the region.
The student body made clear it has no intention of backing down. Beyond the ILP, NESO is also pushing for the inclusion of several northeastern languages in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution — a demand tied to formal recognition and protection of the region's linguistic heritage.
Jyrwa confirmed the twin-track approach, saying, "As NESO, we have been pushing and will continue to push for the implementation of the ILP, as well as for the inclusion of our various languages in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution."
The organisation described the Centre's current stance as a deliberate attempt to alter the demographic profile of the Northeast — a charge that keeps tensions between regional student groups and the Union government firmly alive.