Imphal: For centuries, Nagas living in India and its neighbouring country Myanmar have lived and moved freely along the border, which they called an artificial boundary, with many families still having relatives and ancestral lands on both sides. The majority population of the Nagas, who are a group of ethnic groups from the Tibeto-Burman family, are in the Indian state of Nagaland, and a significant number of them also reside in the Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Assam, and Myanmar.
However, there has been stiff opposition from the Naga ethnic group after the Government of India devised plans to fence the entire 1,643 km of the border with Myanmar and scrap the Free Movement Regime (FMR) to improve surveillance along the border areas.
“The Modi government is committed to building impenetrable borders. It has decided to construct a fence along the entire 1,643-kilometer-long Indo-Myanmar border. To facilitate better surveillance, a patrol track along the border will also be paved,” Home Minister Amit Shah said in an X post on February 6.
About 10 km of border fencing has already been completed at Moreh in the Tengnoupal district, and work is underway to fence another 21 km of the border in other areas of Manipur. The Indo-Myanmar border passes through dense jungles and hilly terrain in Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh.
The Nagas across borders are staunchly opposed to the alleged ongoing border fencing, stating such a move not only violates human rights but will also disrupt age-old historical, cultural, economic, religious, and social ties with their brethren on the other side of the border.
The Free Movement Regime, established in 2018 as part of the Centre’s Act East Policy, allows people from both sides to move freely up to 16 km without any documents.
Although the Naga student bodies appreciated the Centre’s efforts in addressing the alarming rise of the influx of illegal immigrants into the region, they maintained that scrapping the FMR and sealing the international border is not a tangible solution to check the influx of illegal immigrants from the neighbouring country.
NSF ‘Reconnaissance Mission’ amid the FMR row
The Naga Students’ Federation (NSF), an apex Naga student body, along with the All Naga Students’ Association Manipur (ANSAM) and its federating units, had recently launched a ‘Reconnaissance Mission’ and visited border villages under Tengnoupal and Kamjong districts in Manipur. The five-day border tour from October 21-25, 2024, under the theme “Safeguarding Naga Homeland: Breaking Barriers & Shadow Lines,” was aimed at assessing the border areas and opening dialogues with the locals regarding the importance of having a Free Movement Regime (FMR).
During the interactions with the locals, the Naga student bodies discussed and emphasized the importance of shared values, cultural exchange, trade, and commerce along the artificial boundaries.
As part of the NSF’s ‘Reconnaissance Mission,’ the student leaders and Naga apex bodies inspected border pillar No. 82 before they visited the two Maring Naga villages, Nongkham Satang and Choktong under Tengnoupal district along the Indo-Myanmar border, to understand their concerns.
These two villages are reportedly facing the brunt of an influx of illegal immigrants from neighbouring Myanmar as the refugees are outnumbering the villagers.
According to Peter, chairman of Choktong Village Authority, 690 refugees from across the border are currently taking refuge in the village following the crisis in neighbouring Myanmar. However, so far, biometric verification has been done only for 290 of them, expressing concern over the illegal immigrants outnumbering the population of the original settlers or indigenous inhabitants.
Similarly, in Nongkham Satang village, the last settlement in the Tengnoupal district, the number of refugees present is the same as the village population of about 150.
Dangshawa Mopham, chairman of the Nongkham Satang Village Authority, expressed that as simple villagers, they have no voice in the border fencing issue; however, he assured that they would support the decision of the United Naga Council, an apex Naga body in Manipur, and other Naga bodies such as NSF.
Raising his voice against the Centre’s move to remove the FMR through border fencing, Ruwnglar Elly Anal, president of the Naga Students’ Union Chandel (NSUC), said that it will only further divide the Nagas, who have been fighting for their land and sovereignty, and that the Nagas will never accept the border fencing.
The NSF delegation, along with leaders from various Naga frontal organizations, also visited border villages Shangkaloh (Kheronram) and Phaikoh under the Kamjong district to observe the situation firsthand.
These Naga student bodies reiterated their strong opposition to fencing the border and declared that the Nagas will not allow the fencing of the border areas and will reject the artificial boundary pillars across the Naga homeland.
“Today, this land belongs to us, to all the Nagas. And because of some individual’s interest, we cannot compromise,” the NSF president Medovi Rhi said.
The Naga student leader also assured that the NSF and all Naga students and the people are behind the border villagers should they face any problems. “The NSF will continue to fight for the cause of our land, and we will protect it,” he said.
“We are Nagas, and there is no such thing as South Nagas or East Nagas. There is only one Naga, and the NSF stands for that. Today, we are here as our elders envisioned, as ‘Nagas without borders,’” Rhi asserted.
The Naga student leader also issued a strong caution to both India and Myanmar, warning them against interfering with the future of the Nagas. “Nagas are a peace-loving people, and outsiders cannot decide the future of the Nagas. India should not test the patience of the Nagas,” he stated firmly.
NSF senior leader Eshuo Krelo shared that visiting the border areas in Manipur was to demonstrate solidarity with Nagas living across artificial borders.
“Nagas have endured the ‘divide and rule’ policy for many years,” he said. Regarding the Centre’s plan to end the FMR by erecting a border fence, Krelo emphasized that the NSF “cannot and will never allow this fencing to happen in our Naga homelands,” drawing parallels to the fall of the Berlin Wall. “History will repeat itself if a fence is erected in the Naga homelands. We desire to live as good neighbours, but provocation or intimidation will not be tolerated.”
Shimthar Kamodang, the headman of Ramphoi village, criticized the arbitrary placement of border pillars at Huimin Thana, Phaikoh, and other areas, asserting, “The Naga ancestral land stretches beyond the Chindwin River, and those residing on the other side are our family members.” He recalled that during Nehru’s regime in 1956, India and Myanmar exchanged the Kabaw Valley with the Andaman & Nicobar Islands without the consent of the rightful landowners, the Nagas. Kamodang attributed this historical injustice to a lack of education and awareness among their ancestors.
On October 23, 2024, the government border survey team conducted a ground survey and data collection work for border fencing at Phaikoh and Thana villages under the Kamjong district despite strong opposition from the border villages and Naga student bodies.
The border village headmen and local leaders blocked the border survey team at Ramphoi village, one of the border villages, when the team was returning to Imphal, and warned them not to conduct such a border survey.
According to Ngamrei Jajo, president of Kamjong Students’ Organisation, the border survey was conducted without the knowledge of the locals, who are the real landowners, and surveyed border pillars No. 102 to 110. The team comprised officials from Border Roads Organisation (BRO/BRTF), district administration, police, and personnel of 8 Assam Rifles, he added.
On November 7, 2024, the deputy commissioners of the Ukhrul and Kamjong districts co-chaired a meeting at Ukhrul district headquarters and addressed the Indo-Myanmar border fencing project row.
The meeting was attended by headmen of border villages under the two districts, namely Tusom, Poi, Wahong, and Kharasom from Ukhrul, and Namlee, Wanglee, K Ashang Khullen Aze (KAKA), Kangpat Khullen, Kangpat Khunou, Z Choro, Skipe, Pilong, Ramphoi, Kultuh, Molvailup, Chahong Khunou, Chatric Khunou, C Molen, Gampal, Kachouphung K, Kachouphung T, Khayang Phungtha, and Khayang from Kamjong district.
Why political parties and CSOs oppose FMR
Earlier, the Naga People’s Front (NPF), an alliance partner of the BJP-led government in the Indian state of Manipur, issued a statement opposing the border fencing in the Naga-dominated areas without correcting the traditional boundaries.
In a statement, Manipur State Unit NPF general secretary, Honreikhui Kashung, said the party strongly opposed the proposal for Indo-Myanmar fencing in the Naga area without correcting the traditional boundary.
According to Ng Lorho, President of the United Naga Council (UNC), the idea of border fencing and scrapping of FMR is a ploy of the Indian government to sabotage and weaken the spirit of Naga nationalism.
He also expressed concern that such a move is a death threat to the Nagas living on the Myanmar side who solely depend on their brethren living on the Indian side and stated that FMR should continue and for which we will fight tooth and nail for our rights.
UNC general secretary Vareiyo Shatsang has alleged that on the pretext of curbing illegal arms trade, smuggling of drugs, and the influx of illegal immigrants at border areas, the Government of India and Manipur has been hell-bent on abrogating the Free Movement Regime which was conceived as a treaty of Friendship between India & Burma in 1951 and ratified in 1952.
The UNC leader further informed that there have been cycles of protests against the abrogation of FMR in Naga areas as it would further alienate/bifurcate/segregate the Nagas into a microscopic number in their sphere of influence.
“If FMR is not reinstated, it will be a big blow for the Nagas as a nation. FMR as a policy of a state speaks volumes of our inherent rights over our ancestral lands, customs, culture, and economic activities besides familial ties with our kindred tribes across the artificial borders. The healthcare system will have a tottering fall and the education system will be doomed. All activities will be severed. FMR is a matter of great concern for the Nagas. Therefore, civil society organisations, including our Naga representatives, should unite to ensure that FMR is reinstated without fear or favour,” added Shatsang.
Meanwhile, Priscilla Thiumai, president, of the Naga Women Union (NWU), shared that scrapping FMR is not going to solve the problem permanently because there is a hidden agenda of the Indian government to disunite the Nagas living in India and Myanmar.
“In a global view, international boundary fencing is to control illegal immigration, smuggling, human trafficking, etc. The Indian government should bring out the best policy, a policy that does not disturb the existence of people between two countries,” said the Naga woman leader.
This story has been published as part of the AIPP-EastMojo Fellowship 2024
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