‘Situation Unlike Mizoram, Manipur’: Nagaland Govt Urges Home Ministry to Revoke PAP Order

New Delhi: The Nagaland government has written to the Union home ministry asking it to revoke the re-imposition of the Protected Area Regime or Protected Area Permit (PAP) for the state, stating that Nagaland is “peaceful” and the situation in its border areas were “unlike that in the border areas of Mizoram and Manipur”.

The home ministry re-imposed PAP on December 7 last year in Nagaland, along with Manipur and Mizoram due to growing security concerns owing to an influx from neighbouring states, PTI reported.

This was more than a decade after PAP was scrapped in the northeastern states in 2011 to promote tourism. 

“You are aware that the situation in the border areas of Nagaland is unlike that in the border areas of Mizoram and Manipur. For one, the homogeneous tribal composition across the Myanmar and Nagaland borders differs from the heterogenous tribal composition across the borders of Myanmar and Manipur and Myanmar and Mizoram. Moreover, the communities inhabiting the border areas of Myanmar and Nagaland share are interlinked socially with close familial, filial, social and matrimonial relationships,” the letter by the chief secretary of Nagaland stated.

It stated that Nagaland is “the most peaceful state in the country in terms of law and order and safety of women” and that its low crime rate has helped the state attract domestic and foreign tourists. “To promote tourism and provide local employment opportunities the State Government with active support from Government of India has taken numerous initiatives, including investment in physical infrastructure. Thanks to these efforts, the recently concluded 25" year of the Hornbill Festival witnessed a record tourist inflow.”

Noting that a cabinet meeting of the state government was conducted on January 6 to discuss the issue, it added that reimposition of PAP will impact the state’s economy which is majorly dependent on tourism. 

“The Cabinet directed the undersigned to convey to the Government of India, that re-imposition of the Protected Area Regime in the State will adversely affect the tourist inflow into the State and have a negative impact on the State's economy. The Cabinet further decided that to ensure proper monitoring of foreign tourists into Nagaland, an effective mechanism for registration and tracking of foreigners visiting the State will be put in place by the State Government. Therefore, the relaxation granted to Nagaland earlier may be restored,” the letter read.

A PAP requires foreign nationals visiting certain restricted areas of India to obtain a special permit after meeting certain checks and requirements. The permit is usually granted for a 10-day duration, which can be extended. The permit is issued by Union home ministry and state authorities.

“With regard to the Free Movement Regime (FMR), in the Indo-Myanmar Border (IMB), the Cabinet reiterated its earlier decision to request the Central Government to restore the old FMR and also to frame appropriate regulations and lay down processes for movement of people across the border,” it added.

Notably, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Manipur, Nagaland and Mizoram, and parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand are listed as protected areas by the government. In 2011, the order was relaxed for Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland.

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