Manipur: Naga Village Chiefs' Federation Voices Opposition to Indo-Myanmar Border Fencing

IMPHAL: The Naga Village Chief Federation Manipur (NVCFM) has opposed the Indian government's plan to fence parts of the Indo-Myanmar border where the Naga people are settled.

This was adopted formally in the Second Assembly of the Federation on August 24, 2024. The NVCFM raised their concerns over the effects of such a fence on the Naga people whose communities were split on both sides of the border pointing out disturbances in historical relationships and livelihoods.

In a statement issued today, the Naga Village Chief Federation Manipur (NVCFM) has strongly opposed the border fencing along the Indo-Myanmar region proposed by the Indian government as it infringes upon the rights of the Naga people. As per NVCFM, the fencing initiative violates the safeguards offered to the Naga community by the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

The NVCFM asked the leaders, specifically the presidents, chairpersons, and chiefs of associations, not to cooperate with the government or any agencies undertaking the fencing project. According to the Federation, the plan would cause a grave disruption in the life of the Naga community whose cross-border connections are essential to their identity.

The NVCFM appeals to all the Naga village chiefs to fully support this directive for the protection of the interests of the Naga people. The Federation stands committed to its defense of the rights of the indigenous peoples and that the actions of the government do not destroy the Naga people.

Earlier, the Naga Village Chief Federation Manipur submitted a memorandum to Union Home Minister Amit Shah regarding the suspension of the Free Movement Regime (FMR) and proposed fencing of the Indo-Myanmar border in the Naga-inhabited regions of Manipur, earlier.

The Federation warned that the suspension of FMR and completion of the border fence would disperse the long-standing cross-border Naga community even further.

The Federation underscored the fact that the Indian Naga people had already cleaved into four states - Nagaland, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, and Assam - and reminded them of their inalienable right to stay as one people on their ancestral land.

The NVCFM further argued that the border fence would not just sever familial and cultural ties between both parts of Nagaland but also jeopardize the unity and identity of the Naga people who traditionally lived and interacted across both sides of the Indo-Myanmar border. The Federation, therefore, urged the government to reassess its plans so as not to trample on the Naga people's rights and heritage.

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