Scrapping of FMR infuriates MNYO
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, September 30 2024: While voicing for continuation of the Free Movement Regime (FMR) along the Indo-Myanmar border areas, Manipur Naga Youth Organisation-Headquarters (MNYO) likened the government's policy of scrapping the FMR and fencing of the Indo-Myanmar border to direct invasion on the rights, habitat, freedom, culture and beliefs of the indigenous communities settling on both sides of the border.

In a release, MNYO asserted that the decision taken by the union government in February this year to scrap the FMR was done in haste without considering rights, freedom and livelihood of the indigenous tribes and communities settling along the border belt.

In the quest to check illegal immigrants and drug traffickers, and put a curb on activities of insurgent groups, the policy of government of India and strategy of its External Affairs Ministry will naturally backfire, the Naga organisation said, while observing that all major indigenous communities who are living along on either side of the border will never agree and cooperate with the government's policy of Scrapping the FMR implemented since 1950s.Moreover, construction of border fencing along the Indo-Myanmar border would be futile, it maintained.

The fencing project reflects inhumane aspect of government as could be comprehended from certain portions of the Indo-Myanmar border line running right through the middle of some houses as well as many villages.

The border fencing will also divide and split everything of the communities living along the border, their habitat, families, land, fields, tradition and culture, it continued, while cautioning that the interference to the demographical structure of the north eastern states of India by the Union government would be akin to pouring fuel to the burning flame and lead to more unrest and tension among the trans-border communities on both sides of the border, MNYO elaborated.

It urged the central government to focus on influx of unaccounted people from the Indian mainland that really threatens the demographic structure of almost all the North-Eastern states of India and further exhorted to invest in people-centric development projects instead of investing huge national resources and fund on partitioning the indigenes through border fencing.

The organisation also appealed to the union home ministry and the external affairs ministry to continue with the FMR of 1950s, which permits citizens of India and Myanmar to access both sides sans visas and passport for up to 40 km .

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