The Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA) on Friday unanimously passed a resolution by voice vote, against scrapping of Free Movement Regime (FMR) and to fence the India-Myanmar border areas.
The resolution moved by deputy chief minister Y. Patton also urged upon the government of India to work out regulations for movement of people across the border in close consultation with the people inhabiting the border areas and suitably include village council authorities in the system for regulations.
The resolution noted that scrapping of FMR and fencing the border would cause immense hardship and inconvenience, and also agony to the Nagas living along the India-Myanmar border areas. This, it said was due to the fact that the traditional land holding system straddles across the international border in many areas, and people have to cross the international border on a daily basis for their normal cultivation activities;
At the same time such measures will seriously disrupt the age-old historical, social, tribal, and economic ties of the Naga people living on both sides of the international border.
The house further resolved to request the Government of India to work out regulations for movement of people across the borders in close consultation with the people inhabiting the border areas, and for suitably bringing in the village council authorities concerned in the entire system of regulations.
Earlier this month, Union home minister Amit Shah said that the central government has recommended an immediate suspension of the free movement regime between India and Myanmar that allowed people from both sides to travel 16 km into each other’s territory without paperwork. Hill tribes with kin across the 1,643km boundary would freely go back and forth under the regime.
India shares a 1,643 km border with Myanmar, running through four of its northeastern states, of which 215 km is within Nagaland. The FMR allows people in the border areas of both countries to travel up to 16 km into each other’s territory without a visa and stay for a limited period of time.
Mizoram was the first state in the region bordering Myanmar to pass a resolution against Centre’s decision.
The Mizoram Assembly on Wednesday adopted a resolution, moved by Home Minister K Sapdanga, urging the Centre to reconsider its decision. It urged the Centre to instead take steps to ensure that Zo ethnic people, “who have been divided in different countries, are unified under one administrative unit”.