Anathema to the idea of global village : Time to scrap the PAP
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: February 27, 2015 -
It makes no sense. That is the Protected Area Permit.
Don’t know from where the Government of India got this weird idea that the North East region needs to be kept under an Act christened the Protected Area Permit.
Protected from whom ? According to the said Act, it is from foreigners.
Weird it is and no wonder there is the overwhelming sense that far from protecting the indigenous people, this Act is nothing but yet another manifestation of discrimination meted out to the people.
If Delhi is so bothered about protecting the region and the people of the North East region then it should sincerely apply its mind on the continuing imposition of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act.
It is this Act which has not only alienated the people of the region but has also made the Government machinery a killing machine.
In short ‘protection’ sounds like a well cooked up agenda to keep the people of the North East isolated.
Adding to the geographical isolation is an Act which forbids foreigners from entering the region.
Good thing that PAP has been relaxed till December but what is stopping Delhi from totally scrapping it and confining it to the dustbin ?
What would happen if a city like Mumbai or Chennai too come under the PAP ?
Protection of the indigenous people sounds pretty on paper, but this goes against the grain of Global Village, a term or a condition from which no one can escape.
So what is stopping the Government of India from scrapping such an outdated law ?
It is the same thing with the stubborn continuation of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act.
Maybe it is in cognizance of the fast changing global scenario and the emergence of South East Asia as a major economic power but it is noteworthy that the Centre has once again decided to relax PAP in certain States of the North East region.
Taking the attitude of the Centre towards the North East, it will not be surprising if PAP has been relaxed keeping in mind the interest of the country and not the welfare of the local people here.
Keep the North East isolated for the benefits of other regions of the country and now open up the North East for the benefits of the other States of the country.
It is this mindset that has to go.
It has obviously not dawned on the consciousness of the policy framers of the country why there has been a demand to implement the Inner Line Permit System in Manipur lately.
A sure indication that while the Centre thinks nothing wrong in regulating the visit of foreigners to the North East, it has not given any thought on protecting the indigenous population from the inflow of migrant workers into the region.
Says something significant about where the safety of the North East people figure in the mentality of the political leadership at Delhi.
Time for the Centre to come to the realisation that it makes absolutely no sense to keep on adopting double standards towards the North East and her people.
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