The United Naga Council (UNC) is likely to declare an indefinite economic blockade along national highways within its jurisdiction in the coming days over the abrogation of the Free Movement Regime (FMR) and ongoing border fencing in what it terms “Naga ancestral homeland,” Newmai News Network reported.
According to the report, a “concrete decision” will be taken after an “emergency presidential council meeting” in Senapati on August 11 (Monday). All Naga “tribe hoho presidents” have been asked to attend the meeting “without fail.”
The UNC had served a 20-day ultimatum to the Government of India on July 22, which expires on August 11. “No encouraging move has come forth from the government till date,” UNC leaders told Newmai News Network on Thursday night.
The ultimatum was jointly issued by the UNC, the Naga Women Union (NWU), the All Naga Students’ Association, Manipur (ANSAM), and the Naga People’s Movement for Human Rights-South (NPMHR-S). These bodies have strongly opposed the FMR abrogation and the construction of border fencing in Naga areas.
“Should the demands remain unaddressed from the date of this ultimatum, we shall be compelled to resume our protest movement in stronger measure across all the Naga hill districts,” the joint statement warned.
The ultimatum, addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, was submitted through the Governor of Manipur on July 22.
Series of memorandums
The UNC and other Naga bodies have submitted multiple memorandums on the issue this year:
April 2: Tangkhul Naga Long (TNL) organised a mass rally in Ukhrul under UNC’s aegis and submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister via the Deputy Commissioner.
May 2: UNC submitted a memorandum to the Governor of Manipur.
February 26: ANSAM submitted a memorandum to the Governor of Manipur.
June 20: ANSAM submitted a memorandum to the Ministry of External Affairs, Prime Minister, and Home Minister through the Governor of Manipur.
June 20: Senapati District Students’ Association (SDSA), Tangkhul Katamnao Saklong (TKS), and Naga Students’ Union, Chandel (NSUC) submitted memorandums to central leaders through their respective district commissioners.
July 12: Tangkhul Naga Long submitted another memorandum to the Governor.
Demands
The joint ultimatum called on the Government of India to:
Revoke the notification/order related to the abrogation of the FMR immediately.
Stop all ongoing border fencing construction and demarcation works in Naga ancestral lands.
Initiate a meaningful and time-bound dialogue with Naga civil societies and affected stakeholders.
The Naga bodies maintain that these actions are necessary “towards securing our legitimate rights over our ancestral land and our peoplehood.”
(With inputs from Newmai News Network)
