ITANAGAR, May 27: Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Wednesday announced a series of major decisions following a seven-hour marathon consultative meeting on issues related to indigenous tribal rights, the Inner Line Permit (ILP) system, and Arunachal Pradesh Scheduled Tribe (APST) matters.
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| Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu chairs a high-level consultative meeting on indigenous tribal rights, ILP framework, and APST matters at the State Banquet Hall in Itanagar on May 27, 2026. (Image: X/PemaKhanduBJP) |
The meeting, described as one of the most extensive consultations held on the future of indigenous rights in the state, brought together student bodies, legal experts, political parties, civil society organisations, and community-based organisations for detailed deliberations on safeguarding the interests of indigenous tribal communities in Arunachal Pradesh.
Among the most significant decisions taken during the meeting was the state government’s in-principle approval to move towards the creation of a separate dedicated department for the Inner Line Permit (ILP) system. Chief Minister Pema Khandu stated that the proposed department would strengthen implementation and monitoring of the ILP mechanism while enhancing protection of indigenous tribal rights in the frontier state.
The ILP system, governed under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation of 1873, restricts the entry of non-residents into Arunachal Pradesh and several other northeastern states without official permission. The mechanism is considered one of the key legal protections safeguarding the demographic, cultural, and land rights of indigenous tribal communities in the state.
The meeting also decided to hold a follow-up high-level consultation on May 29 involving seven-member delegations from the Arunachal Indigenous Tribes Forum (AITF), the All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU), the ST Bachao Andolan Committee, and legal experts to further shape the future roadmap on tribal protection and APST-related matters.
The discussions come amid growing debates in Arunachal Pradesh over the issue of granting Scheduled Tribe status to non-APST communities residing in the state, including the long-pending demand concerning the Deori, Sonowal Kachari, Moran, and Mising communities in certain areas of Arunachal Pradesh. Several indigenous organisations and student bodies have expressed concerns over the possible impact of such moves on the rights, reservation benefits, and demographic balance of indigenous tribes.
Over the past few years, AAPSU and other tribal organisations have repeatedly demanded stricter implementation of the ILP system, digitisation of permit monitoring, identification of illegal immigrants, and stronger safeguards against demographic changes in the state.
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Sources said the consultative meeting also discussed issues related to land protection, constitutional safeguards, reservation policies, and legal mechanisms to preserve the identity and rights of indigenous tribes in Arunachal Pradesh.
Chief Minister Pema Khandu described the meeting as a serious and constructive exercise aimed at ensuring consensus-based solutions on sensitive tribal matters affecting the future of the state.
“Student bodies, legal experts, political parties, CBOs and civil society organisations came together for one of the most serious and extensive discussions on the future of Arunachal Pradesh and its indigenous people,” Khandu stated after the meeting.
The outcome of the upcoming May 29 meeting is expected to play an important role in determining the state government’s future policy direction on ILP enforcement, APST protection, and indigenous tribal rights.
