Kohima: Prof. Nani Bath of Rajiv Gandhi University pushed for regional solidarity among the eight northeastern states to defend indigenous land, culture, and resources. He warned that current political trends, specifically the Uniform Civil Code, threaten local autonomy. Bath spoke on the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation of 1873 during a seminar held by the Naga Students' Federation at the Dimapur Town Hall.
The British designed the regulation to secure their own commercial interests while managing tribal conflicts. It established an Inner Line that limited outsider access. Arunachal Pradesh enforces the regulation, including Section 7, which stops non-natives from owning land. Bath flagged a growing trend where outsiders bypass this law by holding property through local proxies. Massive projects threaten these protections. He cited the 11,200 MW Siang Upper Multipurpose Project, which could bring up to 300,000 outside workers into the region.
New rules notified in March 2026 further complicate the issue. Project managers can now sponsor up to 200 workers at once under the Inner Line Permit system. Bath pointed to past efforts to shield the region, noting Nagaland's 1984 initiative and the Mizo National Front's push to move the regulation into the Ninth Schedule. He believes that legal maneuver could provide stronger safeguards. Unity is mandatory. "Otherwise, individual states would not be able to stand against the onslaught of those in power at the Centre," he said.
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