During the recent drive launched by the All Nyishi Students’ Union (ANSU) in collaboration with the capital administration and police, to identify people without inner line permits (ILP), about 400 people without ILPs were detected. The move to conduct the drive was appreciable, but why is that such kind of ILP check drives are conducted only occasionally. The administration and police should not wait for a student organization to initiate such drives. They are paid by the government to do their duty. Therefore, the administration should, on regular intervals, conduct surprise checks of ILPs to detect illegal migrants.
Also, it came to the forefront that many of these people enter the state without ILPs by illegally crossing jungles and rivers. Many such routes exist through which these people enter into the capital complex. The administration should immediately identify all such routes and close them. Further, there is the urgent need to upgrade the infrastructure at check gates. Modern technology should be used to make the check gates more robust. Often times, the allegation of corrupt practice by the police personnel posted at check gates also surface. Senior police officials should look into these allegations seriously and take action against those involved in corrupt practices. The detection of so many living without ILP in the capital complex is a wakeup call for the administration. This is just the tip of the iceberg and there might be thousand others who are staying illegally in the state. To keep the state safe, ILP checks should be intensified.