TKS adds more bite to ANSAM call
Source: The Sangai Express / Mungchan Zimik

Ukhrul, June 25 2025: The Tangkhul Katamnao Saklong (TKS) has intensified the 120-hour (five day) office picketing protest launched by All Naga Students' Association, Manipur (ANSAM) from June 23 .

As a part of the people's movement, TKS sealed all offices in Ukhrul district headquarters, including the office of the Deputy Commissioner and Superintendent of Police today.

Speaking to the media on the third day of the protest, ANSAM president Th Angteshang Maring called the agitation as the Naga people's movement against the "deprivation of our inherent rights" .

He stated that the decision to scrap the Free Movement Regime (FMR) and further divide the Nagas in Nagalim by fencing the Indo-Myanmar border has hurt the sentiments and the interests of the Naga people.

The Naga people have been raising their voice again and again to register their rights.

However, the GoI has failed to respect the rights, the words of the Naga people and even failed to create a room for reconsideration, he said.

"The five-day office picketing is an immediate fallout of the sinister policy of the Government of India (GoI) to divide Nagas and undermine the rights of the Naga people.

ANSAM firmly stands against the scrapping of FMR and imposed border fencing, which has infringed the right of the Nagas", he maintained.

Angteshang further claimed that GoI has violated Article 36 of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2007) .

He maintained that democracy has failed in India, is challenging the birthright of the Naga people and directly questioning the United Nations, Unrepresented Nations People's Organization and the International Human Rights organizations.

Saying that in the course of the people's movement, ANSAM will not tolerate any individual, Government agencies and official who fail to respect the sentiment and the rights of the Naga people, he reiterated that ANSAM demands immediate reinstatement of FMR and stoppage of the ongoing border fencing in Naga homeland.

Angteshang further pressured the Government to remove the SP and Additional SP (Law & Order) from Senapati district and withdraw the FIR lodged against ANSAM, SDSA, MSU, MKS, PNTM, TAJ and ZSU-SZ .

If the GoI fails to resolve or address the issues on time, ANSAM will resort to intense forms of democratic agitation, he added.

So far, there are no reports of any untoward incident related to the 120-hour office picketing in Ukhrul district till the time of filing this report.

Meanwhile, the vice president of TKS Omri Ningshen said that the Tangkhul student body fully endorses and supports ANSAM's demands.

ANSAM president Angteshang and finance secretary Jesse Baren were stationed in Ukhrul for strict enforcement of the agitation and to supervise the Tangkhul student body during the 120-hours of office picketing.

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