ANSAM reaffirms stand against border fencing, FMR scrap
Source: Chronicle News Service

Senapati, June 17 2025: An emergency presidential council meeting of the All Naga Students' Association, Manipur (ANSAM) on Monday reaffirmed its opposition to the scrapping of the Free Movement Regime (FMR) and the construction of border fencing in the 'Naga homeland'.

The meeting also demanded the immediate withdrawal of the FIR filed against student organisations at Senapati police station.

Addressing the media after the meeting, ANSAM president Angtesang Maring stated that the emergency presidential council meeting, held at Senapati town on Monday, discussed the scrapping of the FMR and the imposition of border fencing in Naga-inhabited areas, as well as the high-handedness of two Senapati district police officials (SP and additional SP (L&O)) during the democratic people's movement on June 2 and 3, 2025 .

The ANSAM president questioned the ill intentions of the officials, accusing them of deliberately disrupting the peaceful movement, which was organised to assert the legitimate and inherent rights of the Naga people.

He also challenged the sincerity of the government, asking why it had failed to address the demands of the Naga people.

Following the incident involving the two police officers, ANSAM and its affiliated units issued an ultimatum demanding their removal from Senapati district.

However, the Manipur government has yet to heed this demand, raising further doubts about its commitment to the people's welfare.

The agitation was described as a peaceful and democratic expression of the Naga people's movement.

However, the two officers allegedly disrupted the demonstration with ill motives, leading to the unfortunate events in Senapati that day.

ANSAM, Senapati District Students' Association (SDSA), and all its federating units have now resolved to initiate a non-cooperation movement, which the president described as just the beginning.

He warned that the agitation would intensify if the Manipur government continued to ignore the Naga people's demands.

The presidential council meeting thoroughly deliberated on the FMR abolition and border fencing issues, reaffirming its commitment to press for the reinstatement of the FMR and a halt to border fencing in Naga homeland.

The council declared that the Naga people's movement would escalate in all possible forms if the Government of India refused to listen to their demands.

Condemning the FIR filed against the student bodies, the ANSAM president expressed dismay that the Senapati district police had targeted ANSAM, SDSA, and its five federating units for standing up for their rights.

He asserted that India, as a democratic nation, must uphold democratic principles, warning that suppressing people's rights renders democracy meaningless.

The student leader demanded the immediate withdrawal of the FIR in the interest of peace.

The meeting began with a minute's silence in memory of the victims of the tragic Air India plane crash oh June 12 .

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