Nagaland government passes resolution on 'Free Movement Regime' along Indo-Myanmar Border

Nagaland government passes resolution on ‘Free Movement Regime’ along Indo-Myanmar Border

KOHIMA: The fourth session of the 14th Nagaland Legislative Assembly, in its concluding session on Friday, passed a resolution on the Free Movement Regime (FMR) along the Indo-Myanmar Border.

The House resolved to request that the government of India work out regulations for the movement of people across borders in close consultation with the people inhabiting the border areas and for suitably bringing in the village council authorities concerned in the entire system of regulations.

Nagaland deputy chief minister Y Patton, who also holds charge of Home and Border moved the resolution.

The resolution stated that the recently announced decision to suspend the Free Movement Regime (FMR) along the Indo-Myanmar border and also to fence the Indo-Myanmar by the Government of India, will cause immense hardship and inconvenience and also agony to the Naga people living in the Indo-Myanmar border areas due to the fact that the traditional land holding system straddles across the international border in many areas. People also have to cross the international border on a daily basis for their normal cultivation activities.

It stated that these measures will seriously disrupt the age-old historical, social, tribal, and economic ties of the Naga people living on both sides of the international border.

“Now, therefore, in view of the special and unique situation mentioned above, this House, hereby, resolves to request the Government of India to reconsider its decision, and to abandon the plan of suspending the FMR and fencing along the Indo-Myanmar border,” it stated.

Earlier this month, Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced for “immediate suspension of Free Movement Regime (FMR)” between India and Myanmar to ensure the internal security of the country and to maintain the demographic structure of India’s North Eastern states bordering Myanmar.

“It is Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s resolve to secure our borders. The ministry of home affairs (MHA) has decided that the Free Movement Regime (FMR) between India and Myanmar be scrapped to ensure the internal security of the country and to maintain the demographic structure of India’s North Eastern States bordering Myanmar. Since the Ministry of External Affairs is currently in the process of scrapping it, MHA has recommended the immediate suspension of the FMR,” Shah said in the post.

The 1,643-km-long India-Myanmar border, spanning Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh, currently operates under the FMR, which permits individuals living near the India-Myanmar border to travel 16 km into each other’s territories without a visa. Initiated in 2018, the FMR policy was a component of India’s Act East policy.

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