Kohima, January 9 (MExN): Reiterating strong opposition to what it describes as a ‘divisive and regressive policy,’ the Tenyimi Union Nagaland (TUN) has “urgently” appealed to the Government of India (GoI) to immediately halt the border fencing project in Naga territories.
The government must engage in meaningful dialogue and consultation with Naga stakeholders before making decisions that impact their ancestral land, the TUN stated in a message issued by its President Kekhwengulo Lea.
The Union further pointed out that during its 1st Foundation Day on June 22, 2024, in Kohima Village, one of the resolutions adopted was to stand in unwavering solidarity with the Nagaland Legislative Assembly’s decision on March 1, 2024, urging the GoI to reconsider its decision to erect a border fence along the Indo-Myanmar boundary.
According to the TUN, the proposed fencing “threatens to further divide the Naga people and sever historical, cultural, and familial ties that have existed for centuries.” It also emphasised that the Naga homeland predates the creation of modern India and Myanmar, and historically, the Nagas lived and thrived across these lands without interference or boundaries.
However, after independence from British colonial rule, arbitrary borders were drawn without the consent of the Naga people, dividing them between two nations, it highlighted.
In the 1950s, the Free Movement Regime (FMR) was introduced, allowing travel up to 40 km across the border, recognising the unique historical and cultural realities of people on both sides, it informed.
Further, India adopted a permit system for border travel in 1968, while the travel distance was reduced to 16 km, with crossings permitted only at three designated points: Pangsau (Arunachal Pradesh), Moreh (Manipur), and Zokhawthar (Mizoram), it added.
This systematic reduction of free movement and tightening of regulations have severely impacted Naga communities, restricting their economic, social, and cultural interactions, the TUN stated.
The recent decision to erect a border fence under the pretext of national security fails to consider the devastating impact on Naga lives and livelihoods, it said.
Families will be permanently separated, economic lifelines cut off, and vulnerable communities pushed further into poverty, it maintained.
It further foresaw disruption of cultural ties, social bonds, education, and healthcare access, as well as isolation of communities and severance of vital connections due to the proposed fencing.
“The absurdity of this plan is starkly illustrated in Longwa village, where the proposed fence will physically bisect the home of a Konyak Angh, with the kitchen in India and the bedroom in Myanmar,” the TUN pointed out.
Thus, it held that the fencing of the Indo-Myanmar border is not just a physical barrier but an assault on Naga identity, heritage, and dignity.
In this connection, the Union urged the Government of India to halt this project immediately.
“We call on every Naga individual, community, and organisation to stand united in defending our land, people, and collective future from further fragmentation and division,” it added.
Overall, the four states of North-East India—Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, and Nagaland—share a total of 1,643 kilometres of international border with Myanmar. Of this, Nagaland’s share is 215 km.
Naga-inhabited areas both in Nagaland and Manipur share international border with Myanmar.
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