ITANAGAR : The All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU) has firmly rejected the stand taken by the Assam-based Takam Mising Porin Kebang (TMPK) against the application of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) system to the Mising community in Arunachal Pradesh, asserting that the permit regime is a non-negotiable constitutional and legal safeguard applicable to all non-Arunachal Pradesh Scheduled Tribe (non-APST) individuals without exception.
Responding to TMPK’s recent statement, AAPSU President Meje Taku said the Union respects the Mising community’s historical association with the region and acknowledges its longstanding cultural and social ties with several tribes of Arunachal Pradesh. However, he maintained that such ties cannot serve as grounds for exemption from a legal framework designed to protect the indigenous peoples of the state.
“The Inner Line Permit 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 this state. AAPSU’s position is unambiguous: ILP is mandatory for all non-APST, and this is final,” Taku said.
AAPSU emphasized that the ILP system is rooted in a robust constitutional and statutory framework. The Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873, under which the permit system derives its authority, was retained to safeguard the indigenous character of the state. The Union also pointed to Article 371(H) of the Constitution, which grants special responsibilities to the Governor of Arunachal Pradesh in matters relating to law and order, reinforcing the state’s unique constitutional protections.
Addressing TMPK’s reference to the Mising community’s ethnolinguistic proximity to tribes such as Nyishi, Adi, Galo, Apatani and Tagin, and its historical presence in districts including East Siang, Lower Siang, Namsai and Papum Pare, Taku drew a distinction between historical association and legal status.
“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 ILP framework is clear: if you are not an APST, you require an Inner Line Permit to enter and reside in this state. This is the law,” he said.
The Union cautioned that granting ILP exemptions on the basis of historical or ethnolinguistic links would create a precedent capable of undermining the very purpose of the permit system, noting that many communities across the Northeast share cultural and ethnic ties with tribes of Arunachal Pradesh.
“If historical ties become the criterion for ILP exemption, then the entire purpose of the permit system collapses. We cannot allow a precedent that unravels a protection that has stood for over 150 years and that every tribe of this state depends upon,” Taku said.
AAPSU also appealed to individuals and organisations in both Arunachal Pradesh and Assam to exercise restraint and responsibility while commenting on the issue, warning that insensitive or inflammatory statements could strain the longstanding harmony shared by different communities.
While affirming that its position carries no animosity towards the Mising community, the Union described the Misings as a proud indigenous people with a rich cultural heritage and expressed hope that all stakeholders would engage constructively within the existing legal framework.
AAPSU further urged the Arunachal Pradesh government to ensure robust, impartial and uniform enforcement of the ILP system across all districts of the state.
