Prof Nani Bath of Rajiv Gandhi University
Morung Express News
Dimapur | August 28
Prof Nani Bath of Rajiv Gandhi University, Arunachal Pradesh, today called for greater unity among the eight northeastern states to safeguard indigenous rights, culture, land and resources, particularly in what he described as a political climate that believes in the Uniform Civil Code (UCC).
Prof Bath of the Department of Political Science, was speaking on “Enforcement of the BEFR, 1873 in Arunachal Pradesh” on day one of the Two-Day National Seminar on the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation (BEFR), 1873, organised by the Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) at Town Hall, Dimapur.
He said the BEFR was introduced by the British to protect their commercial interests as well as sovereign authority amid conflicts between tribal communities and British traders involved in tea and other commercial activities. The regulation created an “Inner Line”, beyond which outsiders could enter only under specified conditions.
Bath said the BEFR has been implemented strictly in Arunachal Pradesh, including its Section 7 provision barring non-natives from having an interest in land and its resources. However, he flagged instances of the provision being bypassed through properties officially held in the names of local people but “practically owned” or financed by outsiders.
Bath also raised concerns over the entry of large numbers of outside labourers for major infrastructure and hydropower projects. Referring to the proposed 11,200 MW Siang Upper Multipurpose Project, he questioned the implications of bringing in potentially one to three lakh workers from outside the state.
He further highlighted provisions in the rules notified in March 2026 concerning sponsorship under the Inner Line Permit system, particularly the provision allowing project managers to sponsor up to 200 persons at a time.
In light of all these, the professor urged the northeastern states to “come together to give a united fight.”
Bath noted that calls for stronger protection of the BEFR were not new, citing Nagaland’s 1984 move and the Mizo National Front’s (MNF) demand for its inclusion in the Ninth Schedule. He suggested that the BEFR could similarly be included in the Ninth Schedule to strengthen its legal protection. He urged the northeastern states to come together.
“Otherwise, individual states would not be able to stand against the onslaught of those in power at the Centre,” he added.
