Kohima, Aug 17 (IANS) The Isak-Muivah faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN-IM) has reiterated its opposition to the erection of border fencing through the Naga homeland, saying the Nagas have the right to free movement within their homeland and that any attempt to erect such fencing would be resisted by all means.
In a statement on Sunday, the NSCN-IM said that scraping of Free Movement Regime (FMR) on the ground of Indian security is “anti-Naga”, because it restricts the rights of Nagas to nurture cultural and Naga brotherhood at its root.
“Nagas have always maintained close ties with its neighbouring Naga villages before the Naga homeland was arbitrarily erected with the so-called border pillars, dismembering even the hearths of our homes which is not only outrageous but suppressive, oppressive and repressive in nature,” the influential Naga body said.
It added that the Nagas will never permit the proposed so-called border fencing through the Naga homeland to further alienate the Naga brotherhood.
“Nagas are one wherever they are. Nagas are not illegal immigrants in their own land. Nagas do not object fencing elsewhere to check the influx of illegal immigrants, but at no cost will Nagas allow our homeland to be fenced/divided to serve the interest of others,” the NSCN-IM said.
The statement said that Nagas will not be intimidated by any form of force or other suppressive, oppressive and repressive actions.
“The plot of Union government to entice the villagers with land compensation for fencing the border is a cheap agenda. The guardian and custodian of Naga customary, traditional, its land and other resources of the Naga village must stand guard and remain vigilant of such activities. The village chiefs and land owners must not succumb to such derogatory approach of the Union government. The rights of Nagas cannot be bartered away for few dollars,” the Naga group said.
The NSCN-IM added that the present Naga generation must stand firm for the future Naga generation like the forefathers who stood their ground for us.
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in 2024 announced that the Free Movement Regime (FMR), which earlier allowed people residing along the India-Myanmar border to travel 16 km into each other’s territory without a passport and visa, would be scrapped soon.
Instead, the MHA decided to replace the FMR to adopt a new scheme to issue a pass to the border residents of both India and Myanmar living within 10 km on either side of the frontier to regulate cross-border movements.
The Nagaland and Mizoram governments and a large number of political parties and civil societies in the two Northeastern states have been strongly opposing both border fencing and the scrapping of the FMR.
Four Northeastern states — Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland, and Mizoram — share a 1,643-km unfenced border with Myanmar.
The MHA had earlier decided to erect fencing on the entire porous border, known for the smuggling of arms, ammunition, narcotics, illegal cross-border movement and various other contrabands, at a cost of Rs 31,000 crore.
–IANS
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