Nagaland: Khiamniugan Tribe seeks reinstatement of FMR 2018

Guwahati: People of the Khiamniungan Tribe of Nagaland opposed the scrapping of the Free Movement regime(FMR) and the Construction of fencing along the Indo-Myanmar border.

Opposing the scrapping of the Free Movement regime and Construction of fencing along Indo Myanmar border The Khiamniungan Tribal Council (KTC) on Thursday held a public gathering at ITC, Dan in the Noklak District of the state.

Stressing the need of the demand, thousands of Khiamniungan tribe took part in the public gathering and raised their voice against the arbitrary decision of India.

Amid the gathering people opposed the construction of the Indo-Myanmar border fence stretching from Border pillar number 139(Thongsonyu) to Border pillar number 146 (Dan) in Nagaland.

The people demanded the immediate reinstatement of the FMR 2018 within 16 km of the border in the gathering.

KTC submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister of India, urging the government to suspend the fencing project, restore the cross-border fence, and reinstate the Free Movement Regime 2018.

The council urged that the fence would divide families, sever ancestral lands, and harm the border communities, and way of life.

The memorandum stated that the ancestral heritage of the Khiamniungan Naga community spans from Lahe Khamti and villages beyond the Chindwin River in Myanmar to Noklak India.

The council reaffirmed that the arbitrary division of the border has failed to serve the deep-rooted kinship, culture, and traditions that bind them as one people.

“We the Khiamniungan of India and Myanmar, do not recognize the arbitrary border drawn in our home. Our bonds of kinship, culture, and tradition transcend these imposed boundaries, affirming our unity as one people,” the memorandum stated.

It stated that fencing the border and discontinuing the FMR would disrupt family ties, livelihoods, and cultural continuity isolating the Khiamniungan community on both sides.