The Hynniewtrep Integrated Territorial Organisation (HITO), a pressure group in Meghalaya, has urged Union home minister Amit Shah to introduce Inner Line Permit (ILP) in the state, calling it a “strategic necessity in the interest of national security”.
The demand for ILP — a mandatory travel document to visit protected areas — has been pending for a long time in Meghalaya. The state Assembly unanimously passed a resolution in 2019 seeking its implementation, but there has been no progress. The delay in its enforcement prompted groups like the Khasi Students’ Union to set up entry gates in July 2023 to check suspected illegal migrants. Meghalaya shares a long border with Bangladesh.
The demand was renewed after the June murder of Indore businessman Raja Raghuvanshi in Sohra. His wife and her alleged partner, both from Madhya Pradesh, were arrested along with six others.
In its letter to Shah on Friday, HITO said the ILP — as enforced in Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram and Manipur under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873 — is essential for safeguarding indigenous identity and controlling demographic shifts.
HITO president Donbok Dkhar cited three major concerns:
- Infiltration risk: “Credible intelligence” of ISI establishing bases in Bangladesh and increased cross-border movement through Meghalaya.
- Fake documents: Reports of fraudulent Aadhaar and voter ID cards enabling non-locals to misuse welfare schemes.
- Sohra murder: A crime allegedly involving outsiders highlights the need for monitoring inflow into sensitive regions.
It urged the Centre to act swiftly in consultation with the state.