UNC receives missive for talks
Source: The Sangai Express / Newmai News Network

Imphal, August 19 2025: The Government of India has sent a "missive" to the United Naga Council (UNC) to decide a convenient date and come to Delhi for talks on the border fencing issue.

However, no official date for the talks has been finalised.

Naga leaders disclosed this to Newmai News Network this evening and stressed "Rather, we had pressed the Centre that the talks should be held in Naga areas.

However, the Government of India representatives had expressed their difficulties to come to the Naga areas owing to various engagements and reasons.

One reason is that three Ministries will be involved in the talks", said the Naga leaders.

"So, it is unlikely that the UNC leaders will go to New Delhi for talks soon", a separate source added.

According to some UNC leaders, they had pressed Governor Ajay Kumar in the August 16 meeting in Imphal that in the event of the talks, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Ministry of Defence should participate.

It can be recalled here that, on August 11, the "emergency presidential council meeting" of the United Naga Council (UNC) held in Senapati, participated by presidents of the "Naga tribe hohos" under the UNC, resolved to "announce the mode of agitation and modus operandi within the 15 days' time" .

The meeting was held on the issue of the abrogation of the Free Movement Regime (FMR) and the ongoing border fencing construction in "Naga ancestral homeland".

The United Naga Council had served a 20-day ultimatum to the Government on July 22.The ultimatum period had lapsed on August 11.It can also be mentioned here that the UNC, the Naga Women Union (NWU), the All Naga Students' Association, Manipur (ANSAM) and the Naga People's Movement for Human Rights-South (NPMHR-S) had served a 20-day ultimatum jointly to the Central Government on July 22 in connection with the the abrogation FMR and the ongoing border fencing construction in "Naga ancestral homeland".

The ultimatum gave 20 days' time to the Central Government to address the issues.

These Naga organisations have been stiffly opposing the scrapping of the FMR and the border fencing.

The joint ultimatum of these Naga bodies addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankarand and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was submitted through the Governor of Manipur on July 22.The joint ultimatum of these Naga organisations said, "We submit this ultimatum with deep concern and anguish, expressing our strong resentment against abrogation of the Free Movement Regime (FMR) along the imaginary IndoMyanmar border and the accelerated ongoing border fencing construction across the ancestral Naga homeland without due consultation with the affected indigenous communities and violating the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) particularly Articles 8, 26, and 36 thereof, endorsed by India".

They had also placed on record that considerable numbers of press statements have been issued, picketing of Government offices in "Naga areas" have been undertaken, public demonstration of protest and rallies were held in "Naga hill districts and memoranda submitted to register our stiff opposition to the abrogation of the FMR and construction of the border fencing across the "Naga ancestral homeland".

One of the references includes a memorandum submitted to the Union Home Minister, Government of India, on January 19, 2024 through the Deputy Commissioner, Senapati district by the UNC.

Another reference is a memorandum submitted to the Union Home Minister through the Governor on February 1, 2025 by ANSAM .

A rally at Chandel district was held and a memorandum submitted to the Prime Minister of India on February 12, 2025 through the Deputy Commissioner by Chandel Naga People's Organization(CNPO), NSUC and Naga Chief Association, Chandel.

A rally at Kamjong was also held and a memorandum submitted to the Governor on February 21, 2025 by the Tangkhul Naga Zingsho Longphang.

Another notable reference is a mass rally at Ukhrul organized by the Tangkhul Naga Long(TNL) under the aegis of UNC and submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister of India on April 2, 2025 through the Deputy Commissioner, Ukhrul by TNL, TNAL, TSL, TKS, TMNL, TNZL, Tangkhul Naga Ato Longphang, Tangkhul Naga Aze Longphang and Tangkhul Naga Zingtun Longphang.

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