Naga People’s Front (NPF) and the Phokhungri Area Public Organisation (PAPO) organized a public rally on April 29, at the India-Myanmar Trade Centre in Avakhung, located in the Meluri district to protest against the ongoing border fencing and the scrapping of the Free Movement Regime (FMR) by the government of India.
NPF secretary general Achumbemo Kikon MLA addressed the gathering in which he reaffirmed his party’s strong opposition to the border fencing and changes to the FMR. He pledged that the NPF would continue to exert pressure on the central government to “halt these divisive measures” and urged for engagement with the Naga people in good faith.
Kikon highlighted the adverse effects of the border fencing on Naga communities residing in border areas, such as Longwa, Pangsha, and Avakhung, and emphasized that the rally was not intended to provoke but to peacefully defend the identity and dignity of the indigenous Naga people.
Kikon reminded attendees of the historic resolution passed by the Nagaland Legislative Assembly that opposed the ongoing border fencing and the cancellation of the FMR. He asserted that Naga people should never be regarded as security threats, stating, “Nagas living in any part of our ancestral land are not criminals. Border fences are meant for criminals-not for us. You cannot fence us in.”
He pointed out that Pochury villages in both Myanmar and Nagaland predate the independence of India and Burma, arguing that the proposed fencing undermines the historical and cultural continuity of the Naga people.
He also criticized the collection of biometric and fingerprint data in border villages, asserting that these initiatives impose additional burdens on already marginalized communities.
Citing historical events from 1948 when Naga villages in Burma refused to join the Burmese Union, Kikon noted that the Nagas declared their independence on August 14, 1947, prior to India’s independence. He called the current fencing initiatives an attempt to erase these historical truths, emphasizing the need for opposition.
PAPO president Paratsü described the rally as a historic event for the region. He disclosed that there are 34 Naga villages in Myanmar that are direct extensions of the Pochury villages in Nagaland where people on both sides of the border consider each other family.
Recalled past arrangements that allowed people to move freely across borders without requiring passports or biometric identification, Paratsü lamented that “today, our people are suffering under new restrictions that treat us like outsiders in our own land.”
Reaffirming the stance against the border fencing and the scrapping of the FMR, PAPO stressed that these actions contradict the spirit of unity among the Naga people. “This land is ours—not given by India or Burma—but passed down from our ancestors. No artificial boundary can change that,” Paratsü declared.
The rally witnessed participation from representatives of Makury Naga communities from Layshi town in the Naga Self-Administered Zone of Myanmar. Speaking at the event, Makury Tribal Council (MTC) president Chiujüvthong expressed gratitude to the organizers and emphasized that the Makury Nagas inhabit Layshi, Lahe, Khamti, and Homlin townships in Eastern Nagaland. He cautioned that the border fencing and FMR scrapping would significantly impact their lives.
Chiujüvthong remarked, “Our kith and kin, our family and relatives have lived here and across the so-called border for millennia, even before the arrival of modern state India and Myanmar. This bond, this relationship continues to thrive amid mounting challenges because we are a family, and we cannot be divided; this is why we are called Nagas.”
He recounted an instance from 1970-71 when officials from India and Myanmar visited their land to install border pillars, assuring elders that these were markers for reaching their land, not meant to divide it.
However, he noted that the reality turned out to be contrary, describing it as a betrayal. He insisted that instead of resolving this issue, the government has furthered actions that threaten to divide their communities.
Chiujüvthong referred to the current situation as “a serious crime before international law” and urged the Nagas to unite against what he termed as “heinous injustice.” He called upon both the Pochury and Makury communities to take a stand against what he deemed an “evil scheme” that disrupts their familial ties.