Nagaland to urge Centre to revoke Protected Area Permit System
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Tribes of Nagaland at the annual Hornbill Festival in Kohima. The Hornbill is also known as the Festival of Festivals.
The Nagaland government has decided to appeal to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs to exclude the state from the Protected Area Permit (PAP) system. State Environment Minister CL John made this announcement on Tuesday, as reported by PTI.
The PAP system requires foreigners to obtain special permits to visit specific regions of India, including certain areas in the Northeast.
The decision was made following a Cabinet meeting held on Monday at Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio’s residential complex. “A thorough discussion was held during the Cabinet meeting regarding the PAP regime,” Minister John stated. “The council of ministers observed that Nagaland successfully hosted the Hornbill Festival from December 1 to 10 last year, with over 2,000 foreign visitors in attendance. As a result, the Cabinet decided to formally appeal to the Centre to revoke the PAP system in Nagaland.”
The Hornbill Festival, celebrated at the Naga heritage village in Kisama, about 12 km south of Kohima, attracted a total of 2,05,968 visitors in December, including 2,527 foreigners.
The PAP system was originally introduced in the 1960s as a security measure, given the region's strategic and geopolitical importance. While it was lifted in Nagaland in December 2021, allowing foreign visitors easier access, the Ministry of Home Affairs reinstated the PAP regime in Nagaland, Manipur, and Mizoram in December 2022.
Now, the Nagaland government seeks to challenge the reintroduction of the system, citing the peaceful conduct of large events like the Hornbill Festival and the positive impact of international tourism on the state.