Day 10: Agartala-Silchar-Aizwal Dream Reality at Silchar waiting for ILP

Day 10:

Agartala-Silchar-Aizwal

Kms Planned: 468 kms.

As I knew the daunting task I had of doing the same bad roads again, I could not sleep much and was up by 4:45. I quickly freshened up and started off from Agartala by about 5:15. As I had spoken to Mr. SK Das, he wanted to meet me and even I wanted to meet him. Both of us met by about 5:30 and had tea. It is always a pleasure meeting new people from around other parts of the country or world.

Anijit Saha my brother from another Mother

With Mr. S K Das

I then quickly took leave and started off towards Silchar. This time I took the National Highway which passed through beautiful forests and it had been raining quite heavily all morning and drizzling a bit in between. Soon I reached the Tripura Border and got back into Assam from where again I had to face bad roads. I had targeted to reach Silchar by about 12:00 but thanks to the roads, I reached by 3:00 pm.

Riding in the Jungles of Tripura

The biggest challenge here was getting ILP to enter Mizoram. Anijit had scanned my documents and forwarded it to Ratul Bhowmik & Robin Singha from Silchar Thumpers. We were keeping our fingers crossed hoping they would be able to get it processed so that I could reach Aizwal the same evening.I was also in touch with Rcha Tochhawang RCho from Aizwal.

As I reached Silchar, I was welcomed by Ratul Bhowmik & Silchar Thumpers. As I had reached late, the Mizoram House was shut and I had to wait for one more day to get the permit. So Silchar Thumpers helped me check in into a hotel and I was held back in Silchar for a day. We then had tea & chatted for a while.

Few Riders of Silchar Thumpers whom I met

I am sitting in my room wondering about what's all this about getting Inner Line Permit even if we are Indians and want to move around in India. I understand taking permits to enter restricted border zones etc but to enter Indian states seems a little strange to me. Maybe someone from these states can educate us all the advantages & disadvantages of this Inner Line Permit.

More about Inner Line Permit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inner_Line_Permit

This provision was made by the Britishers under an Act called as Bengal Frontier Provision Act,1873, to protect the interests of Crown then and is still followed even after almost 7 decades of Independence. If someone says this is required because these are border states, then well let me ask why it isn't there in Meghalaya, Manipur, Tripura, Sikkim & Assam all of which also share International borders

Please note : I am not drawing any conclusions. This subject is open for debate. Please contribute in a positive way if possible. Thanks.

I then went had dinner came back to my room and went to bed hoping I get the ILP soon tomorrow so that maybe I can go to Aizwal and come back the same evening.

Done for the day with at least half a day spare.

A short view of my ride today: https://youtu.be/PHenUZ3xueY

Route taken : Agartala-Panisagar-Churaibari-Patharkandi-Badarpur-Silchar.

Road conditions: Moderate to decent in Tripura and well rest you know after Churaibari its the same stretch.

Time well spent: A good evening tea with Silchar Thumpers.

Kms Done: 288 kms

Destination tomorrow: Silchar-Aizwal after the task of getting Inner Line Permit.