NPF protests border fencing, FMR abolition
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, November 24 2024: The rank and file of Naga People's Front (NPF) Phungyar Unit converged at Kamjong public ground and carried out a peaceful, democratic and silent protest holding placards and banners against the planned fencing along the 'artificial and imaginary' Indo-Myanmar border and abolition of Free Movement Regime (FMR) in Naga ancestral territory by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.

As per a release by NPF Phungyar Information and Publicity Wing, the protest opposed the proposed construction of barbed fencing along the Indo-Myanmar border and scrapping of the decades old FMR without the prior consent of the Nagas, on the ground that both policies would severe affect the Nagas and segregate the kindred tribes similar to that of the Berlin walk "Such diabolic partition by erecting fence along the Indo-Myanmar border would cut off all cultural, economic, religious and social ties with our Naga brothers and sisters living on the other side of the international borders.

The Nagas and other ethnic groups settling along the porous international border would not accept such drastic move to divide the Nagas," it said.

The NPF unit also asserted that the division of India and Myanmar by the then Colonial British Empire have adversely affected the blood relationship of the Nagas.

The anguish, pain and wounds of separation are still fresh in collective conscience and it has not been healed till date.

To add salt to the lingering wounds of the Nagas, the central government has come up with an anti-people, unpopular and unacceptable proposal to fence the Indo-Myanmar border in Naga ancestral domain and removal of FMR, it maintained.

The NPF unequivocally deplored, decried and derided the move of the centre and made an appeal to all the citizens to support the movement against the planned border fencing and abolition of FMR.

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