Nagaland Chief Minister to Head All-Party Team Meeting with HM Shah to Preserve FMR with Myanmar
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Synopsis
Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio will lead an all-party delegation to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah, urging the retention of the Free Movement Regime with Myanmar, which allows border residents to travel without a visa.
Key Takeaways
- All-party delegation from Nagaland to meet HM Shah.
- Advocating for continuation of Free Movement Regime (FMR).
- FMR allows visa-free travel for border residents.
- MHA plans to scrap FMR and introduce new pass system.
- Concerns over impact on historical and cultural ties.
Kohima, March 7 (NationPress) An all-party delegation, led by Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, is set to meet with Union Home Minister Amit Shah to advocate for the continuation of the Free Movement Regime (FMR) with neighboring Myanmar.
Last year, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) announced plans to terminate the FMR, which permits residents along the India-Myanmar border to cross into each other’s territories up to 16 km without a visa.
In place of the FMR, the MHA proposed a new system to issue passes to border residents from both nations living within 10 km on either side of the border to control cross-border movements.
During a recent session, the Nagaland Assembly reached a unanimous decision to send an all-party delegation to explain the sentiment and resentment of the Naga people regarding the MHA’s plan to abolish the FMR between India and Myanmar.
In addressing the assembly, the Chief Minister emphasized that the proposed restrictions would disrupt the long-standing historical, ethnic, social, cultural, tribal, and economic connections of the Nagas residing on both sides of the India-Myanmar border. The delegation aims to inform the Home Minister of the house's concerns, which were articulated in unanimous resolutions passed on March 1, 2024, along with state cabinet decisions from February 8, 2024, and January 6, 2025.
Both the Nagaland and Mizoram governments, as well as several political parties in the two northeastern states, have voiced strong opposition to the border fencing and the FMR. Four northeastern states—Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland, and Mizoram—share a 1,643-km unfenced border with Myanmar. The MHA previously proposed to construct fencing along the entire porous border, notorious for smuggling arms, ammunition, narcotics, and various other contraband, at an estimated cost of Rs 31,000 crore.
Additionally, the governments of Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh separately urged the MHA to install fencing along the India-Myanmar border to curb illegal arms trade, narcotics, and other contraband, as well as to prevent the movement of hostile elements across borders.
