Status Quo Club of Nagaland gets another blow !! 'Deeply state Global intellectuals and human rights' etc etc ... stand exposed
If someone planned for an all-party delegation to meet Amit Shah on an issue of national security; he or she got a royal snub. The snub came from Aizawl - from a regionalist protagonist and elected Chief Minister of Mizoram.
The rest of the work probably has to be done by the Ministry of Home Affairs or Governor La Ganesan. Elected representatives and those in constitutional positions should not be given such a long 'Himanta-inspired rope' to take issues of national security as a mere joke !
Governor had obliged the state government during just concluded Budget session. His speech was lackadaisical; now he may pull up the concerned player(s).
In early 2024, soon after Union Home Minister Amit Shah had announced that the Govt of India decided to scrap the Free Movement Regime (FMR) between India and Myanmar; Mizoram CM Lalduhoma had visited New Delhi to convey Mizo people's opposition against border fencing along the Myanmar border with Mizoram.
However, he had been practical and said as the Chief Minister of the state he had no power to prevent the Govt of India take any decision on border fencing as the subject fell under Central government's prerogative and powers vis-a-vis national security.
In March 2025, he seems to have made a U-turn and said foreign mercenaries are entering Mizoram and then to Myanmar and interfering in internal matters of that country which is already in turmoil.
On Monday, March 10th, Mizoram CM told the assembly that Mizoram was “being secretly used as a transit route by foreigners travelling to Myanmar, which has become a grave concern for the Centre.”
Oh boy !! Lalduhoma has virtually thrown a challenge to the NDPP-BJP dispensation in Kohima to do urgent soul searching.
Chingwang Konyak's party in Nagaland may still do some drama as it has started hobnobbing with the Congress and also a few Opposition MPs in Rajya Sabha; but the Deputy CM of Nagaland Y Patton will have to quickly announce that as a BJP leader he cannot be a party to meet Amit Shah and embarrass the centre with regard border fencing.
A view of Myanmar's side of the border from a bridge built over River Tiau
It may be pointed out that leaders of indigenous people's groups and rights activists met in Dimapur, a commercial city in Nagaland, on Feb 16, 2024 and condemned the decision to do away with “free movement” across the Myanmar border.
The fact of the matter is a powerful stakeholder in Kohima had visited Longwa and said the Govt of India is "not mad (Pagla no hoe)' to come with such a decision.
Officials in the Ministry of Home Affairs said in 2024 that the FMR was scrapped to ensure “the internal security of the country and to maintain the demographic structure” in the northeastern states.
India and Myanmar agreed in 1950 to allow “natives to move freely” into each other's territories without passports or visas along the 1,643-kilometer land border covering four Indian states — Mizoram, Nagaland, Manipur, and Arunachal Pradesh.
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| Longwa along Nagaland-Myanmar border |
Over 87 percent of people in Nagaland and Mizoram are Christians while Manipur has over 41 percent and Arunachal Pradesh has around 30 percent Christians.
The then Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh, a Hindu, is said to have proposed fencing the border. His state was engulfed by ethnic violence since May 3, 2023, between the majority Meitei Hindus and Kuki and Zo tribal people, who are mostly Christians.
At the height of the violence in Manipur, Home Minister Shah blamed the influx of Kuki tribal people from Myanmar. This was creating “insecurity among the Meiteis,” he told parliament on Aug. 9, 2023.
Manipur officials said around 6,000 refugees from Myanmar have taken shelter in the state.
The Nagas have long been demanding a “Greater Nagalim,” a homeland spread across contiguous Naga-populated areas, both in India and Myanmar.
Similarly, a demand for a “Greater Mizo land” has been raised by Mizo leaders since the 1980s.
Considering their demographic spread in the region, both Naga and Mizo communities may have a valid point in wanting to live in a common administrative area.
But this is easier said than done considering the geo-political and security situations.
The Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) leader Lalduhoma also stated during the Question Hour in Assembly in Aizawl that though initially his government was opposed to New Delhi re-imposing Protected Area Permit (PAP) on Mizoram last year, it later understood why the Union government thought it necessary.
The ZPM had ousted MNF in 2023 assembly election and is not an ally of BJP.
This would make things difficult for political elements in Kohima to stage any drama vis-a-vis visit to Delhi and discuss FMR with Amit Shah.
In simpler words, things may boomerang, Mr Chingwang.
ends
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