DIMAPUR, FEBRUARY 5 (MExN): The Nagaland Indigenous People’s Forum (NIPF) has reaffirmed its continued support for the Konyak Union and the communities residing along the artificial/imaginary Indo-Myanmar border.
In a press statement, the NIPF strongly opposed the Government of India’s decision to fence the border and abolish the Free Movement Regime (FMR). “When the people of the Northeast are opposed to this, how can the GoI proceed with such a draconian law?” it questioned.
The forum highlighted that the border demarcation between India and Myanmar originated from arbitrary colonial decisions, beginning with the Treaty of Yandabo in 1826 and later concluded with the Yangon Agreement on March 10, 1967, all without the consent or knowledge of the Naga community. It further emphasized that this decision has endangered the indigenous people who have lived peacefully along the border for generations.
The NIPF also questioned how the Government of India could fence the border and scrap the FMR without consulting the people of Nagaland in particular, and the Northeast in general. “As a democratic country, the present government cannot act unilaterally and must seek the consent of the people,” the statement said.
The forum expressed its firm solidarity with the public rally held in Longwa village on February 3, reinforcing its stance against the Government's actions.
