TNL urges Governor on border fencing, delimitation, tribal autonomy
Source: Chronicle News Service / R Lester Makang

Ukhrul, July 12 2025: Tangkhul Naga Long (TNL) on Friday submitted a four-point memorandum to Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla, articulating a series of pressing demands for the Naga community in Manipur, centred on issues of border security, political representation and local governance.

The memorandum followed earlier communications with the Governor on these issues, dated May 6 and 19 this year.

In the memorandum signed by president Sword Vashum, TNL expressed strong opposition to the ongoing border fencing project along the Indo-Myanmar border, describing it as "nothing less than a colonial relic that seeks to keep the Nagas perpetually divided on either side of the Indo-Myanmar border" .

TNL urges Governor on border fencing, delimitation, tribal autonomy

Asserting that Nagas have historically suffered the ugly handout of divide and rule prior to and ever since India's independence, TNL warned that Nagas shall pull out all stops against the colonialist attempt to construct border fencing through the Naga homeland.

TNL also accused the government of linking the fencing project to the recent ethnic violence, stating: "It is only an alibi for the state government of Manipur to justify their utter failure of public governance resulting in the infamous ethnic violence of May 2023" .

It demanded that the border fencing through the Naga homeland be scrapped in the interest of humanity and justice.

In the memorandum, TNL also highlighted a significant disparity in the current delimitation of Assembly constituencies, arguing that the same is totally out of sync with the spirit and letter of democratic constitutional laws.

It pointed out that 19 tribal MLAs on average represent a population of 78,000 and a physical size of 1,150 sq km of exceedingly difficult terrain, whereas 40 valley MLAs represent an average of 43,000 people and 50 sq km.

Maintaining that for a long 50-year period, Nagas have allowed themselves to be treated as beggars, TNL called for a complete restructuring of the existing delimitations with overriding weightage to topography.

"Under such criteria, tribal shares in the 60-member Legislature can never be less than 35 (22 for the Nagas and 13 for the Chin-Kukis)," it argued.

Concerns were also raised regarding the Autonomous District Council (ADC) elections, which TNL believes have "turned into a political instrument to perpetuate political and economic enslavement of the tribals by the valley" .

The memorandum noted the alarming frequency of ADCs functioning without elections, stating that through the 51 years of ADC's existence, the institutions have gone on without elections for 26 years (1995 to 2015 and 2020 to 2025) .

While acknowledging the prospect of new elections, TNL stipulated that they would welcome ADC elections only on the condition that the existing ADCs would come under the 5th Schedule to the Constitution of India within a period of one year of the elections.

"Should they fail to commit themselves to our just and strictly constitutional demand, we would regretfully reject ADC elections under the Vth Schedule," it cautioned.

Simultaneously, TNL called for the bifurcation of the state budget into two distinct components - one for the general (valley) and another for the hills.

The apex Tangkhul customary body argued that non-bifurcation is the root cause for rampant corruption, resulting in wholesale deprivation of the tribals, especially the Nagas.

The memorandum reminded the Governor that this bifurcation is envisaged in the Presidential orders vide Gazette notifications - "dt 20.06.1972 section 4: 3 & 4", urging its immediate implementation.

Conveying that the demands are strictly constitutional, TNL urged that the same be acceded to without further delay.

It also sought assurance from the Governor that Nagas would not be forced into a confrontational mode, expressing their eagerness for a speedy redressal of the grievances.