A joint meeting of central Young Mizo Association, Mizo Hmeichhe (women) Insuihkhawm Pawl, Mizo Upa (senior citizens) Pawl, Mizo Zirlai (students) Pawl and Mizoram Kohhran Hruaitute (church leaders) Committee here yesterday agreed to submit a memorandum to the Centre demanding status quo on the PAP.
In a bid to 'woo foreign tourists', the Centre on December 31 lifted the PAP from these three states to allow foreigners to enter the states without any restrictions for a period of one year.
The order came after a joint delegation of the Manipuri Association of Canada and Local Support Group submitted a memorandum to the Home ministry on December 28.
The Mizoram NGOs felt that the Home ministry should have sought the consent of the people of Mizoram before lifting the PAP, which it did after meeting just two organisations representing the neighbouring state of Manipur.
The Mizo NGOs feared that the lifting of PAP would prove detrimental to the social security of the tribal people of Mizoram.
They also feared that the lifting PAP would further jeopardise the Inner Line Permit/Regulation that safeguards the indigenous people from assimilation since the British time.
While non-Mizo Indians have to get Inner Line Permit (ILP) foreigners are required to get Protected Area Permit (PAP) to enter into Mizoram.
The NGOs also wanted amendment of some guidelines in the PAP, regarding strict restrictions on the movement of foreign missionaries in the Northeast India. -UNI
