Kohima, Feb 3 (PTI) – Hundreds of villagers from three Konyak Naga villages in Mon district of Nagaland staged a massive protest on Monday against the central government’s decision to fence the India-Myanmar border and abolish the Free Movement Regime (FMR).
Dressed in their traditional attire, the protesters marched through the streets, holding placards and chanting slogans, demanding the withdrawal of the decision to end the FMR. The demonstrators, hailing from Longwa, Chenloisho, and Tobu villages along the Nagaland-Myanmar border, emphasized the need to preserve their traditional territorial rights and cultural ties.
Placards carried by the protesters read, "Recognise our ancestral land, not imaginary boundary," "No to artificial boundary, yes to traditional boundary," and "Respect Konyak Territorial Integrity."
The FMR, implemented in 2018 as part of India’s Act East policy, currently allows people residing near the 1,643-km-long border to travel up to 16 km into each other’s territory without a visa. However, the central government announced in January last year that this provision would soon be revoked, triggering widespread opposition in the border regions of Nagaland, Mizoram, Manipur, and Arunachal Pradesh.
‘We Will Not Accept This Decision’
Tonyei Phawang, the Chief Angh (King) of Longwa village, strongly opposed the Centre’s plan, asserting that the move would disrupt the lives of border communities.
"Our separation by the erection of a border fence is something we never thought of, and under any circumstances, we will not accept the idea," Phawang said. He further warned that fencing the border would severely impact the people of Longwa, as they are spread across both sides of the boundary.
The Nagaland government has sought a review of the decision to end the FMR, but no official response has been received from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) or the Centre.
During Monday’s demonstration in Longwa, villagers marched from LSU Park to the Chief Angh’s residence, reinforcing their call for the preservation of traditional land rights and opposition to the artificial border demarcation.
As tensions rise over the border fencing issue, the affected communities continue to push for dialogue with the government, urging authorities to reconsider the move and respect the historical and cultural ties of the indigenous people.
Dressed in their traditional attire, the protesters marched through the streets, holding placards and chanting slogans, demanding the withdrawal of the decision to end the FMR. The demonstrators, hailing from Longwa, Chenloisho, and Tobu villages along the Nagaland-Myanmar border, emphasized the need to preserve their traditional territorial rights and cultural ties.
Placards carried by the protesters read, "Recognise our ancestral land, not imaginary boundary," "No to artificial boundary, yes to traditional boundary," and "Respect Konyak Territorial Integrity."
The FMR, implemented in 2018 as part of India’s Act East policy, currently allows people residing near the 1,643-km-long border to travel up to 16 km into each other’s territory without a visa. However, the central government announced in January last year that this provision would soon be revoked, triggering widespread opposition in the border regions of Nagaland, Mizoram, Manipur, and Arunachal Pradesh.
‘We Will Not Accept This Decision’
Tonyei Phawang, the Chief Angh (King) of Longwa village, strongly opposed the Centre’s plan, asserting that the move would disrupt the lives of border communities.
"Our separation by the erection of a border fence is something we never thought of, and under any circumstances, we will not accept the idea," Phawang said. He further warned that fencing the border would severely impact the people of Longwa, as they are spread across both sides of the boundary.
The Nagaland government has sought a review of the decision to end the FMR, but no official response has been received from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) or the Centre.
During Monday’s demonstration in Longwa, villagers marched from LSU Park to the Chief Angh’s residence, reinforcing their call for the preservation of traditional land rights and opposition to the artificial border demarcation.
As tensions rise over the border fencing issue, the affected communities continue to push for dialogue with the government, urging authorities to reconsider the move and respect the historical and cultural ties of the indigenous people.
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