Border fencing, FMR scrapping: Mizo groups urge Centre to revoke decision

The NGO Co-ordination Committee, a conglomerate of five main NGOs in the state sent a memorandum to Union HM Amit Shah in support of their demand.

Civil society groups in Mizoram have submitted a memorandum to Union Home Minister Amit Shah urging to reconsider the decision of fencing the porous India, Myanmar border and ending the Free Movement Regime (FMR).

The NGO Co-ordination Committee, a conglomerate of five main NGOs in the state handed over the memorandum through the Governor.

According to the NGO Co-ordination Committee the border fencing and scrapping of the FMR will have an adverse impact on the ethnic and cultural linkages between Mizos residing in both sides of the International Border (IB).

In the memorandum, the NGO Co-ordination Committee expressed its concern over the Centre’s move.

The memorandum read, “Being one ofthe signatories ofthe UN Declaration on the Rights of indigenous Peoples(UNDRIP) 2007, we believe that our country (India) would have taken measures to assert the rights ofindigenous peoples who are divided by international border, as stated in Article 36 of UNDRIP. But we are astonished by the Govt. of India’s decision to scrap the Free Movement Regime( FMR) as well as its attempt to fence the border instead of maintaining and developing relations between the peoples living on both side of the border.”

Malsawmliana, General Secretary of CYMA speaking to Northeast Live said, “Today we have submitted a memorandum to Union Home Minister through the Governor of Mizoram on behalf of the NGO Co-ordination Committee asking for reconsideration of border fencing and abolition of the Free Movement Regime (FMR) along the India, Myanmar border. We know that the Free Movement Regime has been a vital mechanism in maintaining the ethnic and cultural linkage between Mizo people who are residing on both sides of the border.

We firmly believe that the proposed abolition of FMR and the implementation of the border fencing would have a detrimental effect on this vital ethnic and cultural connections disrupting the harmonious co-existence and cultural exchange that has been integral to the lives of the Mizo people. So we the NGO Co-ordination Committee request the Government of India to reconsider it’s decision.”

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