‘Reinstate FMR in Naga areas along India-Myanmar border’

Imphal: Echoing the collective call of several tribal bodies of the state against the Centre’s decision to scrap the Free Movement Regime (FMR) along India-Myanmar border, the All Naga Students’ Association, Manipur (ANSAM) has urged Union home minister Amit Shah to reinstate the same in “Naga areas” along the border.A memorandum to this effect was submitted to Shah through governor Anusuiya Uikey on Thursday by the apex Naga student body of the state.ANSAM leaders, who called on the governor at the Raj Bhavan, said the reintroduction of FMR allowing tribals living along the border to travel up to 16 km on either side of the country without a visa during 2018 under Modi-led BJP rule was a welcome step that alleviated the hardships and enhanced the livelihoods of the people residing in the border areas.“But the decision to scrap FMR shocked the people along the border,” they said, while suggesting a mechanism to curb the menace of illegal immigrants and insurgency.Strict implementation of Inner Line Permit System (ILPS), National Register of Citizens (NRC) and constitution of population commission will yield good results rather than border fencing and scrapping of FMR, Naga student leaders said.Expressing concern about the ongoing unrest in the state which also affects Naga people, they said the Centre and the state government should solve the issue at the earliest.The governor said the issues of illegal immigrants and insurgency were discussed in the NEC meeting held recently in Shillong and the Centre is taking it seriously.Uikey added that she will forward ANSAM’s proposal to the Union home minister and will also talk to him in this regard.In the memo, ANSAM said “the Indo-Myanmar Border holds greater significance for the regional inhabitants than being merely a permeable or unfenced boundary. It symbolizes the interconnections of physical, ethnic, linguistic, cultural and fraternal ties.”“Those residing on both sides of the IMB share a profound emotional connection fostered by their common cultural affinity,” it added.The Churachandpur-based United Zou Organization, General Headquarters (UZO, GHQ), while opposing the government’s intention to fence the Indo-Myanmar border “without taking into account the socio-historical implications and the existence of the Zou/Zo people,” also condemned the decision to remove FMR.

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