Massive Protests in Manipur’s Ukhrul and Nagaland Against Indo-Myanmar Border Fencing, Demand for Free Movement Regime Restoration

Representatives from various civil society organisations also participated, raising strong objections to the fencing project.

More than 15,000 Naga people from different parts of Manipur and Nagaland staged massive protests on Wednesday, demanding the restoration of the Free Movement Regime (FMR) and opposing the border fencing along the Indo-Myanmar border. The demonstrations took place in Manipur’s Ukhrul district headquarters and Longwa village in Nagaland’s Mon district, drawing Naga MLAs, civil society groups, students, and villagers in a unified stand against the proposed fencing.

At the Ukhrul rally, prominent Naga leaders, including Phungyar MLA Leishiyo Keishing, and Chingai MLA Khashim Vashum, participated the rally and addressed the gathering. Ukhrul MLA Ramnganing Muivah also addressed the gathering.

Representatives from various civil society organisations also participated, raising strong objections to the fencing project. Protesters denounced the border division imposed by British colonial rulers in the 1940s, calling it a “treacherous and scandalous” act that undermined Naga identity.

The demonstrators accused the Central government of continuing colonial-era policies like “Divide and Rule,” keeping Naga communities physically and emotionally segregated. “We have suffered for generations due to these injustices. The restoration of the FMR is crucial in addressing this historical wrong,” they asserted.

The protest in Ukhrul featured two separate rallies from Dungrei and Kharsom, which later converged at the district headquarters. Protesters voiced strong opposition to the border fencing, arguing that it would confine them like “wild animals in the jungle” behind iron enclosures. “We will never allow ourselves to be demeaned and degraded in this manner,” they declared.

In Nagaland’s Longwa village, the Naga People’s Front (NPF) organised a parallel protest, where top party leaders, including NPF President Apong Pongener and Secretary General and MLA Achumbemo Kikon, led the demonstration. The rally saw participation from the Angh (King) of Longwa village, youth and women’s wings of the NPF, and several community leaders.

Addressing the rally, Achumbemo Kikon firmly rejected any attempt to divide the Naga homeland. “We are living on our own land, and no one has the right to divide it. We Nagas know our rights, and India is trying to curb them. We will protect our land at all costs,” he stated.

The Naga People’s Front, in collaboration with the Khiamniungan Tribal Council, has scheduled another mass public rally at ITC DAN on April 3 to continue protests against the border fencing and demand the restoration of the FMR. NPF’s central leadership, including its President and Secretary General, will lead the event, alongside solidarity speeches from the Naga Students Organisation Myanmar and Naga YUYA from Lahe, Myanmar.

Also Read: Manipur: A Refugee Dumping Ground? Former CM N Biren Singh Sparks Debate

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