Now, Nagaland opposes fencing of India’s border with Myanmar
The 60-member Nagaland assembly also resolved to appeal to the Centre to work out regulations for movement of people across the boundary
The Nagaland assembly on Friday adopted a resolution urging the Union government to reconsider its recent decision to fence the Indo-Myanmar border and suspend the Free Movement Regime (FMR) with the neighbouring country, becoming the second state after Mizoram to take such step.
India shares 1,643-kilometre border with Myanmar, running through four northeastern states —Manipur, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland. Of this, Nagaland shares a 215-km border with Myanmar. The FMR, established in 2018 as part of the Centre’s Act East policy, allows cross-border movement up to 16 km without a visa.
The 60-member Nagaland assembly also resolved to appeal to the Centre to work out regulations for movement of people across the boundary in consultation with the people inhabiting the border areas, and for suitably bringing in the village council authorities concerned in the entire system of regulations.
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The resolution, moved by deputy chief minister Yanthungo Patton, said Naga people live on either side of the international border and the Centre’s decision to suspend the FMR and fence the Indo-Myanmar boundary “will seriously disrupt the age-old historical, social, tribal, and economic ties of the Naga people living on both sides of the international border.”
“These measures will cause immense hardship and inconvenience, and also agony to the Naga people living in the Indo-Myanmar border areas due to the fact that the traditional land holding system straddles across the international border in many areas, and people have to cross the international border on a daily basis for their normal cultivation activities,” it stated.
The resolution was unanimously adopted by a voice vote.
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“In view of the special and unique situation mentioned above, this House, hereby, resolves to appeal to the Government of India to reconsider its decision, and to abandon the plan of suspending the FMR and fencing along the Indo-Myanmar border,” the resolution added.
On February 8, Union home minister Amit Shah announced for “immediate suspension” of FMR between India and Myanmar to ensure the internal security of the country and to maintain the demographic structure of India’s northeastern states bordering Myanmar.
“It is Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s resolve to secure our borders. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has decided that the Free Movement Regime (FMR) between India and Myanmar be scrapped to ensure the internal security of the country and to maintain the demographic structure of India’s North Eastern States bordering Myanmar,” Shah had said in a post on X. “Since the Ministry of External Affairs is currently in the process of scrapping it, MHA has recommended the immediate suspension of the FMR.”
On February 28, the Mizoram assembly adopted a resolution opposing the scrapping of FMR.
Nagaland is currently ruled by Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) in alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), while Mizoram’s ruling Zoram People’s Movement is not part of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
