Naam Tamilar Katchi’s (NTK) leader Seeman on Friday, April 8, demanded that an inner line permit be introduced for north Indians entering Tamil Nadu, in the current assembly session. His statement comes after a clash was reported on Thursday morning between migrant workers and police in Modakkurichi of Erode.
An inner line permit is a travel document issued by the Union government to allow an Indian citizen to visit a protected area for a limited time period. If an inner line permit system is in force, then it is mandatory for Indian citizens who are not from that state to obtain a permit to enter the protected state.
The clash is said to have happened when the workers were protesting against the company after a truck ran over one of the workers within the company premises. Citing this incident and stating that law and order issues are on the rise in Tamil Nadu “because of North Indians”, Seeman sought for the introduction of the permit.
Seeman's party, the NTK has not made a significant impact in elections. They are, however, known to take extreme positions.
தமிழ்நாட்டில் வடமாநிலத்தவரால் அதிகரித்து வரும் சட்டம் – ஒழுங்கு சீரழிவினைத் தடுக்க, உள்நுழைவு அனுமதிச்சீட்டு முறையை தமிழ்நாடு அரசு உடனடியாக நடைமுறைப்படுத்த வேண்டும்!https://t.co/4jKibjWPha@CMOTamilnadu @mkstalin pic.twitter.com/sFx9GvRgLx
— சீமான் (@SeemanOfficial) April 8, 2022
Earlier in October 2021, chief of the Tamizhaga Vazhvurimai Party (TVK) and Panruti MLA T Velmurugan had written to the state government for the same - introduction of an ‘inner line permit’ for people from other states entering Tamil Nadu to protect the jobs of the Tamil people. He said that most north Indians do not vote for Tamil Nadu-based political parties and end up voting for national parties such as the BJP. He also cited an example of north Indians campaigning in the Coimbatore constituency for Prime Minister Modi during the assembly polls in 2021, to back his argument.
Presently, the inner line permit system is in force in four states across India - Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram and Manipur. Meanwhile, the demand for an inner line permit in Tamil Nadu to protect jobs is not new as Velmurugan and his party have protested against north Indians assuming government positions in Tamil Nadu. In 2019, the party organised a march in Chennai protesting the appointment of north Indians to positions in the state.