IMPHAL, November 24: North East Students`™ Organisation advisor Dr Samujjal Bhattacharya while discoursing on the need for the Inner Line Permit System in the region said `We need ILPS in the North East to protect our land, identity and indigenous people and must enact a constitutional safeguard for the NE States.`
Speaking at a one day discourse on `The Common Identity of North East based on Socio- Economy and Political Affinities,` he said there is a threat towards the indigenous people of North East from the influx of foreigners into the region.
The discourse was held at the conference hall of the Hotel Nirmala organised by the North East Students`™ Organisation and hosted by the All Manipur Students`™ Union today.
Tripura has already suffered from the rampant influx of outsiders from Bangladesh, he said before adding that the governments of the other States should put in efforts to protect the indigenous people of theirs States.
Dr Bhattacharya said Assam is the next State which is being threatened by foreigners`™ influx.
Both the central and State governments have failed to take up any appropriate actions to protect the region from illegal influx, he continued.
Recently some members of the al-Qaeda were caught from Assam, which had made people of the region cautious, he said before adding that there still might be many more cadres in the NE States.
The need of the hour is to send back all illegal foreigners back to their respective places after proper identification, he said.
He said the present government in the Centre has been speaking of its concern for the region, and now the people of the region and NESO want to see some action.
The region is rich in resources, but none of the States are getting equal shares of the resources found, he lamented before adding that development is yet to take place in the region.
The Look East Policy was introduced during the Congress rule in the Centre, however, it is yet to be fully implemented, Dr Samujjal Bhattacharya said.