The Background
The introduction of rail services in the border state of
Arunachal Pradesh has been a long cherished dream of the Arunachalees. However,
the event has evoked mixed feelings among the people of the
state. There is
immense anxiety among student organisations and civil society groups who fear
that rail connectivity between Arunachal Pradesh and the rest of the country
will bring in an influx of people, entering the state without the requisite
Inner Line Permit (ILP). The others see the coming of railways, in absence of
proper road and air connectivity, as a development which will boost trade and
commerce in this remote state, bringing about much needed growth.
Despite the state being considered as a geo-strategically
important state, both by scholars and policymakers, as it shares an
international boundary with China, Myanmar and Bhutan, it has been plagued by
underdevelopment. In fact, not only Arunachal Pradesh, but all the
North-Eastern states of India suffer from underdevelopment. Sanjeev Baruah
rightly pointed out that the “partition of 1947 and the state of diplomatic
relations between India and its neighbours turned Northeast India into a
‘sensitive border region’ requiring special attention on national security
concern. The condition has not been conducive to the region’s economic and
political well-being” (Baruah 2005).
The people of Arunachal Pradesh are dismayed by the
indifferent attitude of the central government towards the development of the
state. This border state has been at the centre of a territorial dispute
between the two Asian giants, India and China. But despite that, the government
has not bothered to develop infrastructure along the border. Acknowledging this
fact in the Parliament in October 2013, the erstwhile Congress Defence Minister
A K Anthony said that “China is superior in terms of border infrastructure as
India was late in deciding on building roads and other capabilities near the
LAC (Line of Actual Control) because of the impact of the 1962 war”. While
describing it as a “collective failure” of all the successive governments, the
minister further said that “after ‘years of neglect’, India is fast developing
capabilities near the China border, including building of roads, raising of two
mountain divisions and setting up many new airfields and landing grounds”
(Times of India 2013).
In a bid to bolster the connectivity and infrastructure in
this remote border state, the railways embarked on a project to put Arunachal
Pradesh on India’s railway map in the late 1990s. The Harmutty
(Assam)–Naharlagun (Arunachal Pradesh) line was laid, and on 7 April 2014, the
first passenger train rolled into Naharlagun, 15 kms from the state capital
Itanagar, from Dekargaon in Assam.
This was in line with the railway’s policy to provide
connectivity to state capitals of North-Eastern states. It can also be
understood as an attempt by the Indian government to bring infrastructure
development in Arunachal Pradesh on par with what the Chinese government has
accomplished in their territory along the border.
Advent of Railways
The railway project in Arunachal Pradesh was sanctioned in
1997, when the former Railway Minister Ram Vilas Paswan announced the 21 km
Harmutty-Naharlagun railway line (9 kms in Assam and 12.75 kilometers in
Arunachal Pradesh) to link Arunachal Pradesh with the national rail network for
the first time (India Times 2014). Accordingly, a survey was conducted in 1997
by the Indian railways and a meter gauge line was sanctioned in the 1996-97
railway budget. However, the state government approved the project only by
2006. The project was delayed further when the line had to be upgraded to a
meter gauge line at the request of the state government. (Economic Times 2014).
With the completion of the Harmutti-Naharlagun railway link
in early 2014, the infrastructure was in place to connect Naharlagun with New
Delhi. Under the 2014-15 railway budget, a Rajdhani Express between New Delhi
and Naharlagun was proposed. In order to facilitate comfortable travel, the
Arunachal Pradesh government relaxed the rigid norm of obtaining the ILP, which
is mandatory for outsiders to enter the state. Instead, the reserved ticket
held by the passengers was deemed sufficient by the state government. The plan
had to be put on hold, as this was met with stiff resistance from the locals
who feared that they would be inundated by outsiders, threatening their
identity and culture.
In 2014, the central government also took the decision to
strengthen the infrastructure along the China border and facilitate the easy
movement of troops and tanks. The central government decided to expedite the
building of four top priority strategic railway lines along the China border.
Out of these four lines, two are in Arunachal Pradesh. The identified lines are
Missamari-Tawang (378 km) in Assam-Arunachal Pradesh and
Murkongselek-Pasighat-Tezu-Parashuram Kund-Rupai (256 km) in Assam-Arunachal
Pradesh (The Indian Express 2014, 22 October). The government has called for a
survey to check the feasibility of these lines. Notably, the
Murkongselek-Pasighat-Tezu-Parashuram Kund-Rupai (256 km) in Assam-Arunachal
Pradesh line is facing stiff opposition from the people of Pasighat.
Inner Line Permit Issue
The euphoria over the introduction of railways in Arunachal
Pradesh was short lived, and the move sparked huge protests in the state. Just
a month after the introduction of the passenger train service in April 2014,
its services were suspended due to ILP issues. The local people feared that
their indigenous identity would be threatened due to massive ingress of
non-indigenous Arunachalees entering the state without the ILP, which has been
in operation in the state from colonial times.
These developments once again compel many of us in the state
and across the country to revisit the discourse on the ILP system. This system
has been operational under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation Act, 1873,
which was devised by the British government to prohibit the entry of the non-indigenous
people in the tribal hill areas of North-East without a special permit. The law
was designed to protect the culture and identity of indigenous tribes residing
in the region as well as the commercial interests of the colonial government.
The ILP essentially is an official travel document issued by
the state governments of Arunachal Pradesh Nagaland and Mizoram to any Indian
citizen who wants to visit these restricted states/areas. The foreigners
require the protected Area permit (PAP) to visit these states.
People’s Perception
The hasty introduction of rail services in Arunachal Pradesh
in April 2014 by the state government without a suitable mechanism in place to
grant ILPs to railway passengers took the local people by surprise. It was seen
as an attempt by the Nabam Tuki-led Congress government to reap electoral
dividends in the state assembly elections, which were going to be held on 9
April 2014. The influx of passengers without ILPs in the initial days of the
rail service raised serious concerns among the people of the state. The people
viewed this development as an underhand move by the central government to
eliminate the ILP regulation from the state of Arunachal Pradesh.
Students organisations like the All Nishi Students Union
(ANSU), the All Papumpare District Students Union (APPDSU) and other civil
society organisations raised serious concerns regarding the state government’s
failure to strictly implement the ILP regulations. Though on 14 January 2014,
the Papumpare deputy commissioner on behalf of the government of Arunachal
Pradesh had declared that “the state government would put a mechanism in place
for checking the ILP of passengers” (Arunachal Times 2104, 15 January), it
failed to deliver an effective mechanism to regulate ILP.
As a result of the intense protests, the passenger train
service was suspended on 10 May 2014. The ANSU and APPDSU, who were
spearheading the movement, demanded the framing of a proper mechanism to
execute the ILP provisions before the resumption of rail services. They also
called for “white paper assurance from NF Railway authority to ensure that the
C and D grade job are reserved for local people in particular and people of
Arunachal Pradesh as a whole” (Arunachal Times 2014, 9 May).
It was against this backdrop that the people of the state
also opposed the introduction of the Rajdhani Express. The fact that the
reserved ticket required to board the train would replace the official permit
necessary for visiting the state was unacceptable to the people and was
vehemently condemned by the various organisations in the state. (Indian Express
2014, 22 September). It seemed that the motive behind the introduction of
railways was more strategic than economic. This was evident from the speech
made by the erstwhile Congress Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal on 27
February 2014. He said that “‘nation security was a top priority for railways.
The Harmutty (Assam) - Naharlagun (Arunachal Pradesh) would be commissioned
within the financial year 2013-2014” (Times of India 2013, 28 February).
However, the people believe that if the railways are to be introduced in the
state for national security reasons, then rail connectivity should be extended
to border areas like Tuting-Gelling in Upper Siang district on the international
border.
Protecting the ILP
The commencement of railway services in the state is sure to
spawn many important developments. It will not only open up Arunachal Pradesh
to rest of the world but also provide a boost to the state’s economy. With the
adoption of the “Act East Policy” by the central government, which focuses on
improvement of its economic ties with Southeast Asian countries, the
North-Eastern states due their geographical proximity to these countries stand
to gain. For example, states like Arunachal Pradesh can play a prominent role
in paving the way for economic permeability. To achieve this, many of its age
old restrictive laws like ILP, PAP, Restricted Area Permit (RAP), etc, need to
revisited.
Though many believe that the ILP is an infringement of the
fundamental rights of people, the indigenous people of states like Mizoram,
Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh treat it as a constitutional measure to protect
their indigenous culture and identity. States like Manipur and Meghalaya,
today, have intensified their demand for the ILP system. Noteworthily, the
Manipur legislative assembly in this regard, in July 2012, passed a resolution
to “extend and adopt the Bengal eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873 with
necessary changes in the point of details to the states of Manipur and to urge
the government of India to comply the same”(Press Information Bureau, 4
Sepetmber 2012).
Nonetheless, the current apprehensions of the people are
reasonable if we look at the deliberate attempts made in the past to lift the
ILP system from the North-Eastern states of India. Responding to various
petitions from various organisations to lift the system from the region, the
Guwahati High Court on June 13, 2008 directed the Mizoram government not to
deport or arrest any person without the ILP (Oneindia 2008).
The call for protecting the ILP system might come in the way
of promoting globalisation, liberalisation and privatisation in the region, but
it has to be remembered that the North-Eastern states are still trying to carve
out their space within India’s federal structure. Though lately, the government
of India is making an attempt to develop the North-Eastern region of India,
particularly the state of Arunachal Pradesh. In addition to establishing
railways, which will help in the development of the region, there is also a
need to seriously implement the ”Act East Policy”, which will aid growth and
development in the region through cross-border trade.
Viewing development of the region only through a security
lens might not serve this purpose well. It is high time that the government of
India reanalyses its policies of border trade with neighbouring countries,
especially in regard to Arunachal Pradesh. Many traditional trade routes like
the Bumla trade point (Indo-China) near Tawang, Pangsau pass in Changlang
(Indo-Myanmar) etc, in Arunachal Pradesh, have economically benefitted the
people of the area better in the past. General Singh, relevantly pointed out
that recommencement of formal border trade will truly give a boost to the
economy of the North-Eastern states, particularly Arunachal Pradesh, Assam,
Meghalaya and Nagaland (Singh 2014, 325). So if the government is really
serious about economic development of this state, then it should work towards
reopening these trade routes.
However, if we are to believe the statement of Kiren Rijiju,
minister of state for home affairs, then this border state in a few years will
see some development. In spite of the Chinese government’s reservations about
India’s policy to develop this border state, the minister said “We will do
certain infrastructural activities which have not been done in the last 60
years. The Chinese should not have a problem with my statement..... They cannot
stop me from doing my work” (India Today 2014).
With movements against illegal immigrants taking place in
neighboring states like Assam Tripura, etc, the fear of illegal immigration has
always haunted the people of Arunachal Pradesh. And it is for this reason that
the people have been demanding strict implementation of the Bengal Eastern
Frontier Regulation, 1873. Constitutionally speaking, the state does not have
special constitutional provisions like Article 371(A) and Article 371(G)
applicable to the states of Nagaland and Mizoram respectively, protecting their
religious, social and customary laws, ownership and transfer of land,
administration of civil and criminal justice, etc. So in absence of such
provisions, protection of indigenous tribal identity and culture is a major
concern among people of Arunachal Pradesh. It is rather early to think about
lifting the ILP at this stage, as the state is yet not in a position to
accommodate the inflow of outsiders.
Railways and ILP
The state and the central government will have to come up
with a satisfactory mechanism, whereby passengers travelling by train do not
bypass the ILP system. Though the state government has decided to set up ILP
counters at the railway stations, but without effective monitoring the desired
result will not be achieved. In this context, creation of a separate department
for granting ILPs with technical know-how and enough manpower would not only
make the implementation process easier, but also the concerned department will
act more responsibly.
The launch of the new AC Express between Naharlagun and New
Delhi, putting Arunachal Pradesh on India’s railway map for the first time,
marks a momentous occasion in the history of the state. But the event will
become significant for the prople if the state government also comes up with an
effective mechanism for the co-existence of railways and the Bengal Eastern
Frontier Regulation, 1873 that is acceptable to the indigenous people of the
state.
Source : http://www.epw.in/
No comments:
Post a Comment