UNC’s ‘trade embargo’ on highways in Manipur enters Day 2

Normal movement of vehicles loaded with essential commodities along the national highways in Manipur were affected with the commencement of “trade embargo” stir in the Naga dominated areas on Tuesday.
United Naga Council (UNC), imposed what it called “a trade embargo” in the Naga tribes dominated hill areas of the state from Tuesday in protest against fencing along the Indo-Myanmar border in Naga areas and the scrapping of the free movement regime (FMR).
UNC, the apex body of Naga tribes in Manipur launched the trade embargo stir in Naga areas of the state starting midnight of Monday, as the first step of non-cooperation movement against India government protesting the fencing at the Indo-Myanmar border and the scrapping of the free movement regime (FMR).
The apex body decided to go ahead with the stir after the breakdown of talks between Naga bodies led by UNC and representatives of the Central government at New Delhi on August 26 over the two key demands – fencing of Indo-Myanmar border in Naga areas and scrapping of FMR.
With the commencement of the stir, normal movement of vehicles transporting goods along the national highways, particularly on NH-2 and NH-37, the lifelines of people of the state was severely hit.
On day-one of the stir, leaders and members of various Naga based CSOs supporting the stir called by UNC came out onto the highways and restricted the movement of the vehicles carrying essential commodities.
Reports said that the blockade enforcers stopped and checked transport vehicles at Taphou along NH-2 (Imphal-Dimapur section) in Senapati district and prevented them from further proceeding with goods.
In Chandel district, members of various Naga based CSOs under the aegis of Naga People’s Movement Against Border Fencing and Abrogation of FMR also enforced the trade embargo at various places including along Imphal-Moreh road.
“The trade embargo is the beginning of the Naga peoples’ non-cooperation movement that will be relentlessly followed by many such actions until our grievances are addressed satisfactorily,” UNC said in a statement issued on Monday.
In the statement, the UNC accused New Delhi of disregarding the traditional land rights of the Nagas, with fencing work already underway in Tengnoupal district of Manipur.
The apex body rejected the Central government’s decision calling it as arbitrarily demarcated without the consent of Nagas.
“There is no land boundary line between India and Myanmar within the Naga homeland. Nagas will not accept any land alienation policy whatsoever,” the statement read.
The UNC described the government’s actions as inhuman and a declaration of war on the Naga people, arguing that fencing and movement restrictions undermine cultural, ancestral, and community ties.
It demanded that prior and informed consent of the Naga people must be obtained for any project affecting the Nagas and their land.
In February last year, the Union ministry of home affairs decided to fence the 1,643 km long boundary between India-Myanmar for which an amount of Rs 31,000 crore was sanctioned in March, 2024.
The UNC feared that “if and when this project is materialized, more than 1,000 km of Naga homeland align the so called three northeastern states of India namely Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh will be physically bifurcated, cutting all ties with their own people in the east, Nagas of Myanmar.”
The FMR introduced in 1950 was further restructured in 1968 allowing cross-border movement without visas with a territorial limit to 40 km which was reduced to 16 km in 2004 and then further reduced to 10 km of the unfenced international border.
However, in February 2024 FMR was entirely suspended.
During the talks between UNC and the Centre at the national capital on August 26 last, the Centre reportedly emphasized the need for border fencing and scrapping of the FMR to control illegal immigration, smuggling of drugs and proliferation of firearms across international borders.