Under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation Act of 1853, non-Nagas require an ILP to visit the state, but it did not include Dimapur district under the provisions. “Every non-indigenous person henceforth entering the area of district of Dimapur which was hitherto not covered under ILP shall be required to obtain an ILP in the same mode and manner as presently required for entering the ILP area of state of Nagaland,” said the order.

It clarified though that any nonindigenous person passing through Dimapur to other states as a transit passenger with a valid ticket would not be required to obtain an ILP. Home minister Amit Shah had said during his reply in the Lok Sabha that the bill would not apply to the tribal areas of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram or Tripura as included in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution and the areas covered under the inner line.

“The whole of Arunachal Mizoram and Nagaland barring a portion of Dimapur is protected by ILP. Manipur is not protected but we will only notify the bill once Manipur is brought under ILP,” said Shah.