ANSAM begins office picketing stir
Source: Chronicle News Service
Senapati, June 23 2025:
As announced earlier, the five-day office picketing agitation called by the All Naga Students' Association, Manipur (ANSAM) and initiated by Senapati District Students' Association (SDSA) commenced on Monday in Senapati district.
Operation of various government departments in Senapati district was severely affected on the first day of the stir.
The Naga student body has been voicing its opposition to the scrapping of the Free Movement Regime (FMR) and border fencing in Naga-inhabited areas in Manipur sector.
ANSAM initiated the step to launch the movement in pursuance of the resolution adopted during the presidential council meeting held on June 16, 2025 at Senapati.
Describing the movement as a united demonstration to express resentment against the ongoing imposed border fencing along the artificial/ imaginary Indo-Myanmar international boundary and the scrapping of the FMR, it cautioned that the governments of India and Manipur would be held solely responsible for any unwanted incidents or situation arising during the movement.
Similar agitations had reportedly commenced in other Naga hill districts of Manipur.
A banner placed at the entrance of the Mini Secretariat, Senapati demanded the removal of SP and Addl SP (L&O) from Senapati district and the withdrawal of the 'illogical' FIR lodged against ANSAM, SDSA, MKS, MSU, PNTM, TAJ and ZSU-SZ functionaries.
No untoward incident had been reported at the time of filing this report.
According to ANSAM volunteers, the protest witnessed a widespread response, with government establishments in Senapati, Ukhrul, Tamenglong, Chandel, and Kangpokpi districts wearing a deserted look.
The protest is being carried out in strong opposition to the scrapping of the FMR and the ongoing construction of border fencing along the Indo-Myanmar border as these policies pose significant threat to the cultural, traditional, and ancestral connections shared among Naga communities residing on both sides of the international boundary.
Volunteers clarified that the agitation is not an isolated event but represents the collective frustration and deep resentment among the Naga population over what they called a unilateral border demarcation executed without consultation or consent.
ANSAM maintained that the protest is being conducted in a peaceful and disciplined manner.
In a bid to draw international attention, ANSAM has also reached out to global bodies including the United Nations and the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO), urging immediate intervention to halt the construction of the border fence and to reinstate the Free Movement Regime.
The FMR earlier allowed cross-border movement within a 16-kilometre radius without visa requirements.
ANSAM volunteers voiced concerns that the removal of the FMR and the fencing activities could have far-reaching consequences, not only restricting mobility but also affecting social, cultural, environmental, and humanitarian aspects.
They warned that the physical division could further marginalise and alienate indigenous Naga communities with long-standing cross-border relationships.
(With inputs from agencies) .
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