If this is linked to refreshing efforts seen on ground vis-a-vis progress in Naga peace parleys; one is not sure.
India and Myanmar share 1,643 kilometers of land border covering four states – Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh.
Several Naga organisations in Manipur on Tuesday, July 22, urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah to immediately halt the fencing of India-Myanmar border and to restore the Free Movement Regime (FMR) within 20 days.
Serving a 20-day ultimatum, the Naga organisations said "the government of India must revoke the notification/order related to the abrogation of the Free Movement Regime (FMR) immediately" .
According to a Raj Bhavan statement, representatives of UNC, ANSAM, NWU, and NPMHR met Governor Bhalla and expressed concerns over ongoing developments impacting the hill areas, particularly in relation to the Free Movement Regime and border fencing.
"The Governor acknowledged the grievances raised and said that the matter would be looked into," sources said.
The Naga organisations essentially put forward three point charter of demands:
(i) The Government of India must revoke the notification/order related to the abrogation of the Free Movement Regime (FMR) immediately.
(ii) Immediate stoppage of all ongoing border fencing construction and demarcation works in Naga Ancestral Lands.
(iii) The government of India must initiate a meaningful and time-bound dialogue with the Naga Civil Societies, and affected stakeholders.
"Should the above demands remain unaddressed from the date of this ultimatum, we shall be compelled to resume our protest movement in stronger measure across all the Naga hill districts," said the letter(s) to PM Modi, Home Minister Shah and also Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar.
Expressing strong resentment against abrogation of the Free Movement Regime (FMR) and the accelerated ongoing border fencing construction along the India-Myanmar border, the Naga civil organisations said several forms of protests, including "picketing of government offices in Naga inhabited areas have been undertaken along with protest rallies in Naga inhabited hill districts" .
The government's revised border guidelines issued in December 2024 limit cross-border movement under FMR to just 10 km from the border and impose a "border pass" system.
However, as of now the Government of India is unfazed about the agitating mood and maintains that the centre is "open to meet them and explain".
In fact, the central government has already held a meeting on identical issues with the civil society in Mizoram and the deliberations were successful.
It is understood that the Mizo CSOs having understood Govt of India's perspective on matters related to national security are likely to cooperate with the Govt of India.
The decision of the Union Home Ministry in January 2024 to “seal” the open border with Myanmar is understood to have impacted the indigenous tribes in the northeast region such as Nagas and Mizos.
These communities are Christians and share ethnic affinity and kinship ties that cut across political borders.
The tribal leaders and groups were angry and have in the past also sought to clarify that they “would not like to be seen as causing hurdles” in India's effort to secure its border.
Leaders of indigenous people's groups and rights activists met in Dimapur on Feb 16, 2024 and condemned the decision to do away with “free movement” across the Myanmar border.
Officials say 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.
The 1950 pact underwent several changes over the years, and in 2004, India decided to limit free movement to just 16 kilometers. In 2018, the two countries signed an Agreement on Land Border Crossing to “facilitate regulation and harmonization of already existing free movement rights for people ordinarily residing in the border areas of both countries.”
The chief ministers of Nagaland and Mizoram have openly opposed the fencing of borders but their counterparts from Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh were keenly supporting it.
The then Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh is said to have proposed fencing the border. The state was engulfed by ethnic violence in 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 Amit Shah also had blamed the influx of Kuki tribal people from Myanmar.
This was creating “insecurity among the Meiteis,” he told parliament on Aug. 9, 2023.
It was estimated that around 6,000 refugees from Myanmar have taken shelter in the state.
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 situation that prevails now.
Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma had grasped this situation well and hence expressed his helplessness on the issue of sealing the border. Lalduhoma had said his state government has "no authority and we cannot stop it” if the central government goes ahead with its plan.
Foreign policy matters and border security are central responsibilities.
ends
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