NSCN-IM Opposes Centre's Strategy to End Free Movement Regime

NSCN-IM has opposed the Government of India’s move to shelve the free movement regime (FMR) with Myanmar, saying any such move will divide the Naga community.

New Delhi: As the centre is set to end the Free Movement Regime (FMR) along the India-Myanmar border, the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-IM) on Wednesday opposed any such move saying such action will divide Nagas.

“The nature of the boundary demarcation (between India and Myanmar) was so cruel that it ran right through the house of Longwa King in Mon district. Nothing can be crueller than this while dividing the Naga family,” Naga rebel group NSCN-M said in a statement.

Stating that the outfit is totally against boundary fencing, the outfit said, “NSCN will not allow the proposed boundary fencing that further divides the Naga family as a nation.” Home Minister Amit Shah recently announced that the central government is working to end the free movement regime along the India-Myanmar border.

People of different communities including Nagas, Mizos, Kukis, and Zohmis reside on the Myanmar side of the border and they keep interacting with their communities living on the Indian side. The recent move of the government of India to abolish the time-honoured Free Movement Regime (FMR) has come as a rude shock to the NSCN in particular and to the whole Nagas in general.

“It reminds us of the treacherous division of the Nagas by the Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru and the Burmese Prime Minister U Nu in 1953. However, the fact remains that the Nagas have never accepted the arbitrary international boundary demarcation set up by these two prime ministers and the Nagas living on either side of the so-called international border have remained as one family defying all the odds. As one family, Nagas needs free movement from both sides,” the outfit said.

It added that the Nagas are indigenous people with a high level of political consciousness, and cultural and social cohesion. “They are also fully aware of the irrefutable historical narratives of the Naga nation that transcend the international barriers, oppressively created by the Indian and Myanmar governments without consulting the Nagas. Such manner of injustice and wrong conduct against the Nagas continues to haunt the Nagas till today,” the outfit said.

It said that the Naga political movement came into existence with the avowed stand to defend the historical and political rights of the Naga nation and put to an end the hegemony of the government of India and Myanmar "in a manner that is acceptable and honourable".

Anticipating that illegal immigrants keep entering into the Indian side taking advantage of the free movement regime, the Home Ministry said that such immigrants were involved in the ethnic violence in Manipur. “On the issue of illegal immigrants, Naga themselves would control any illegal immigrant on Naga soil. We will not allow any illegal immigrants in our territory,” the NSCN-IM said.

NSCN-IM is currently in political negotiation with the Government of India since 1997 to end the decade-long insurgency in the northeast.

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