Representatives of Naga organisations, political parties, civil society groups, student bodies, scholars, and concerned citizens adopted a “Joint Recommendation” opposing the scrapping of the Free Movement Regime (FMR) and the imposition of border fencing and biometric surveillance along the Indo-Myanmar border.
The resolution was made during a seminar titled “Borders Without Consent: The Naga Struggle Against Forced Division and Surveillance”, organised by the Global Naga Forum (GNF) at the Conference Hall of NIELIT, Kohima, on Monday.
The seminar brought together voices from across Naga territories and beyond to collectively address the challenges arising from the Government of India’s recent policies impacting indigenous rights and freedom of movement.
The Joint Recommendation urged the Government of India to prioritise a just and honourable political settlement to the Indo-Naga issue rather than implementing measures that, it said, further alienate and oppress the Naga people.
“A just and honorable political settlement should be the Government’s top priority, rather than actions that exacerbate mistrust and hardship among the Naga people,” the statement read.
Participants condemned the Indo-Myanmar border as an illegitimate colonial imposition that divides Naga ancestral lands without consent. They strongly opposed the scrapping of the FMR, arguing that it criminalises traditional kinship ties and restrict indigenous mobility, violating human and indigenous rights as protected under international frameworks like the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).
Categorically rejecting border fencing and militarised surveillance infrastructure, participants warned that such actions would turn the Naga homeland into a “zone of fear and control.” They called for unity among all Naga groups, irrespective of state or political affiliations, to resist these measures peacefully and collectively.
The Joint Recommendation urged elected Naga leaders to stand firmly with the people. “The State Government of Nagaland and all Naga representatives—regardless of state or political affiliation—must take a firm stand against fencing and surveillance.
They are accountable first to the Naga people, not to external political pressures. Any compromise on our land, movement, or inherent rights is a betrayal of the Naga political vision rooted in unity, dignity, and self-determination,” it stated.
The participants also called for regional and international solidarity, appealing to indigenous networks, human rights defenders, and democratic institutions worldwide to support the Naga cause.
The seminar recalled that the FMR, formalised in 2018, was meant to allow indigenous communities along the Indo-Myanmar border to cross up to 16 kilometers into either country without a visa or passport, preserving ancestral ties.
Resolving to reject all fencing and surveillance efforts imposed under the pretext of national security or drug control, the participants pledged to defend the Naga homeland through peaceful, indigenous-led resistance rooted in customary law, international legal standards, and Naga unity.
The Joint Recommendation was signed by GNF convenor Chuba Ozukum and co-convenor Prof. Rosemary Dzüvichü on behalf of all participants.