Guwahati: Protest erupted in Nagaland after the Centre announced its decision to scrap the Free Movement Regime (FMR) and erect fencing along the India-Myanmar border.
Communities across the state, especially those living in border areas, strongly opposed the move, citing fears that the fencing would split ancestral lands and sever long-standing social, cultural, and familial bonds.
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The Yimkhiung Tribal Council (YTC) on Saturday led a massive public rally in Pungro Town, Kiphire district, where demonstrators urged the Centre to reinstate the FMR.
Protesters also submitted a memorandum to Union Home Minister Amit Shah through the Additional Deputy Commissioner of Pungro, calling for immediate intervention.
The agitation intensified statewide, with tribal bodies stressing the critical role of FMR in preserving traditional cross-border ties among Naga communities living on either side of the border.
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The Angami Public Organization (APO) and various Naga tribal groups staged a major protest in Kohima on April 9.
They demanded the restoration of the FMR and highlighted its significance in safeguarding the indigenous way of life.
Following the demonstration, the APO and other representatives submitted a formal appeal to Union Home Minister Amit Shah via Nagaland Governor La Ganesan.
Earlier, on April 3, the Naga People’s Front (NPF) and the Khiamniungan Tribal Council organized a large rally at ITC Dan in Noklak district.
NPF leaders, including Secretary General Achumbemo Kikon and Noklak MLA P. Longon, condemned the Centre’s decision and called for its reversal.
The NPF also held a rally on April 2, in Longwa village, Mon district, an area symbolic of the border’s complexities.
The Angh (Chief) of Longwa, whose home straddles both India and Myanmar, voiced his deep concern.
NPF party president Apong Pongener, Secretary General Achumbemo Kikon, and local leaders participated, warning of serious consequences if the government pushed forward without consent from the people.
Prominent Naga chieftain Tonyei Phawang, the Angh of Longwa, also urged the Centre to reconsider the FMR withdrawal, pointing to the deep-rooted cultural and social ties shared by Naga communities across the international border.