AAPSU Firmly Rejects ILP Exemption Demand for Assam’s Mising Community in Arunachal Pradesh

OUR CORRESPONDENT

Itanagar: The All Arunachal Pradesh Students' Union (AAPSU) on Monday firmly rejected demands for exemption of the Mising community of Assam, from the Inner Line Permit (ILP) regime in the state, asserting that the permit system is a constitutional and legal safeguard that must apply uniformly to all non-Arunachal Pradesh Scheduled Tribe (non-APST) individuals without exception.

Responding to a statement by the Assam-based Takam Mising Porin Kebang (TMPK), AAPSU president Meje Taku said the union respects the Mising community's historical and cultural ties with several tribes of Arunachal Pradesh but maintained that such bonds cannot override the legal framework meant to protect the indigenous people of the state.

“The ILP 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. No community, regardless of its historical ties or ethnolinguistic affinities, can claim exemption from a rule that applies equally to all non-APST persons entering and residing in the state," Taku said in a statement.

AAPSU said the ILP system is backed by constitutional and statutory provisions, including the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873, under which the permit system derives its authority.

It also pointed to Article 371(H) of the Constitution, which provides special responsibilities to the Governor of Arunachal Pradesh in matters relating to law and order, reinforcing the state's unique constitutional status.

The students' body observed that while TMPK had cited the Mising community's ethnolinguistic links with tribes such as the Nyishi, Adi, Galo, Apatani and Tagin, as well as their historical presence in districts like East Siang, Lower Siang, Namsai and Papum Pare, such factors do not alter their legal status under the ILP framework.

“We do not deny the historical and cultural bonds between the Mising people and the tribes of Arunachal Pradesh. These bonds are real and deserve acknowledgement. But historical affinity is not a legal category. The law is clear that all non-APST persons require an ILP to enter and reside in the state,” Taku said.

AAPSU also appealed to individuals and organisations in both Arunachal Pradesh and Assam to exercise restraint while commenting on the issue, warning that insensitive or inflammatory remarks could disturb the long-standing harmony between communities.

The students' body cautioned that granting ILP exemptions based on historical or ethnolinguistic ties would set a dangerous precedent, as several communities across the Northeast share cultural and ethnic links with tribes in Arunachal Pradesh.

“If historical ties become the criterion for ILP exemption, the very purpose of the permit system would be undermined. We cannot allow a precedent that weakens a protection which has existed for more than 150 years and remains vital for the indigenous tribes of the state,” Taku said.

Reiterating that its stand was not directed against the Mising community, AAPSU described them as a proud indigenous people with a rich cultural heritage and expressed hope that all stakeholders would engage constructively within the existing legal framework.

The organisation also urged the Arunachal Pradesh government to ensure robust, impartial and uniform enforcement of the ILP system across the state.

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