Centre to reconsider decision of scrapping free movement regime: Nagaland govt

The Nagaland assembly on March 1 adopted a resolution urging Centre to reconsider its decision to fence the Indo-Myanmar border and suspend the free movement regime with the neighbouring country

With various Naga civil society organizations continuing to raise concerns on the decision of the Government of India to do away with the free movement regime (FMR) with Myanmar and fence the Indo-Myanmar border, Nagaland cabinet headed by chief minister Neiphiu Rio on Thursday asked those organisations to have patience as the Central government has assured to reconsider the matter.

The India-Myanmar border. (File)

Following a cabinet meeting in Kohima, state government spokesperson and minister of parliamentary affairs KG Kenye told journalists that the state assembly has already passed a resolution in this regard and requested the Centre to reconsider their decision of scrapping of FMR. “Since the state government is taking all necessary action with the Government of India and Government of India has also assured to reconsider the issue, the NGOs (non-government organisations) are requested to have patience till Government of India takes a considered decision in this regard,” Kenye said.

The Nagaland assembly on March 1 adopted a resolution urging the Union government to reconsider its recent decision to fence the Indo-Myanmar border and suspend the 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 opposition-less state assembly had 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.

The March assembly resolution recognizes that 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 would 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.