Aizawl: Five non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Mizoram, represented by the NGO Coordination Committee (NGOCC), have sent a memorandum to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, urging a reconsideration of the decision to abolish the Free Movement Regime (FMR).
The NGOCC Mizoram is a conglomerate of various influential NGOs in the region, including the Central Young Mizo Association (CYMA), MUP (Senior Citizens Association), MHIP (Mizo Hmeichhe Insuihkhawm Pawl – a women’s federation), MZP, and MSU – the two prominent student apex bodies.
In their memorandum, the NGOs expressed their concern over the Indian government’s decision, citing their status as signatories of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) in 2007, “Being one of the signatories of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), 2007, we believe that our country (India) would have taken measures to assert the rights of indigenous peoples who are divided by international border, as stated in Article 36 of UNDRIP. But we are astonished by the Govt. of India’s decision to scrap the Free Movement Regime( FMR) as well as its attempt to fence the border instead of maintaining and developing relations between the peoples living on both sides of the border.”
The NGOs expressed astonishment at the decision to scrap the Free Movement Regime (FMR) and initiate border fencing instead of fostering relations between the people on both sides of the border. They asserted that the FMR has been a crucial mechanism in maintaining ethnic and cultural linkages between the Mizo people residing on both sides of the border.
In the memorandum, the NGOs highlighted their belief that the proposed abolition of the FMR and the implementation of border fencing would have a detrimental effect on the vital ethnic and cultural connections between the Mizo communities. They expressed concerns that such measures could disrupt the harmonious coexistence and cultural exchange that has been integral to the lives of the Mizo people.
The memorandum concluded with a plea to Home Minister Amit Shah to reconsider these decisions, taking into account the cultural, ethnic, and historical ties that unite the Mizo communities on either side of the Indo-Myanmar border.
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The NGOs emphasised the need for policies that promote understanding, cooperation, and sustainable development rather than measures that may lead to the erosion of the rich cultural fabric shared by the Mizo people.
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