DIMAPUR, JANUARY 22 (MExN): The Nagaland Indigenous People's Forum (NIPF) has taken strong exception to the Government of India’s decision to scrap the Free Movement Regime(FMR) and to fence the border with Myanmar.
A press release from the NIPF said that without taking into consideration the appeals and oppositions made by the people's representatives and Civil Societies against the scraping of the Free Movement Regime and the Indo - Myanmar border fencing, the Union Home Minister announced the Centre's decision again during the Passing out parade of the Assam Police Commandos in Guwahati on January 20.
The NIPF questioned the Government of India if it is aware of the history, custom, culture of the indigenous people living in the “imaginary border” region between India and Myanmar. “The GoI should be aware that people from the same family lives on both side of the imaginary border line which passes through the middle of the ethnic villages in some locations like Longwa Village in Mon district of Nagaland where half of the Chief's house is on Indian side and the other half is on Myanmar side,” it stated.
The forum said that this “unfair border line drawn without any consultation or against the will of the indigenous people” has been one of the factors that added to conflicts with the government on either side of the border line. “There might have been times when the people in power acted on their own will and the people were forced to accept it, but such act may not be possible or acceptable today in this civilised world,” it said.
It stated that when the Union of India said to be the biggest democracy, it is expected that the will of the people is heard and the will of the people in power is not imposed upon the people undemocratically. The NIPF said that any such forceful move by the Union Government within the Nagaland stretch will be taken as anti-people.
“Rather, the GoI should dig harder and resolve the Indo-Naga political issue before taking any further steps to scrap the Free Movement Regime and to fence the Indo-Myanmar border in the Nagaland stretch,” it said.
