As resistance swells across Naga territories, the Nagalim Voice, the official monthly bulletin of the NSCN-IM, has released a scathing article titled “Why Nagas Couldn’t Rest Till FMR is Restored and Border Fencing Put on Hold”, asserting that the Free Movement Regime (FMR) is not just a policy, but a lifeline of historical and political rights. The article warns that the Indian government’s move to scrap FMR and proceed with border fencing at the Indo-Myanmar border is an “insult and betrayal of Naga sovereignty.”
Rejecting the Centre’s rationale of “national security” and “illegal migration,” the bulletin stated, “India said many good things about FMR and border fencing, but nothing is further from the truth as Nagas are no fools to believe what is deceitful and defiance on the role of the government of India.”
The FMR, which allowed movement across the Indo-Myanmar border for indigenous communities, is described in the article as “a fragile bridge between the divided Naga people across the so-called international borders.” It insisted that the regime was “not a privilege granted by India, but a necessity—a right for the Naga people who have lived, traded and moved freely across these lands long before the artificial lines of colonizers divided us.”
At the heart of the resistance are mass rallies and powerful voices calling for the restoration of the FMR. In Ukhrul, Global Naga Forum Co-convenor Prof. Dr. Rosemary Dzuvichu described the move as a “calculated move to suffocate the Naga people for generations,” asserting, “It is a colonial relic disguised as a policy decision—a blatant move to fortify India’s military presence and to ensure that Nagas remain prisoners in our own homeland.”
Dr. Dzuvichu further questioned the government’s motives: “Why now? Why is the government of India suddenly so desperate to shut down even the limited movement of the Nagas across the Indo-Myanmar border?” She alleged the Act East Policy was never about economic progress for the Northeast but “a militarized policy” to facilitate the movement of armed convoys while trade and development remain stifled.
“The British fenced off Naga lands, the Indian state militarized them, and now, with the scrapping of the FMR, India has taken the final step towards turning our homeland into a vast open-air prison,” she said. Her final words resonated with determination: ”You (India) cannot enslave a Nation that refuses to kneel.”
Another landmark protest was held in Longwa, Mon district—a village split by the border itself, with the house of the Angh (village chief) straddling both countries. Addressing the crowd, NPF MLA Achumbemo Kikon said bluntly, ”We fought the British to preserve our sovereignty, and we will not submit to any external control… We are living on our lands, no one has the right to divide our home. India is attempting to curb our rights but we will protect our land at all cost.”
Secretary General of Naga People’s Movement for Human Rights (NPMHR), Dr N Krome, echoed similar sentiments, stating the anti-people act “helped the Nagas to reunite again in order to enhance our struggle for self-determination to grow greater.”
UNC President Ng Lorho called out India’s “sudden intention to fence the border” as “a calculated move to further fragment and weaken the Nagas,” and branded it “a direct attack on the rights and dignities of the Nagas.”
Tangkhul Naga Long (TNL) President Sword Vashum stated, ”We are committed and united in the fight… No external force can divide the Nagas living beyond and across the border as long as we stand firm to live together as one people.”
In Kohima, during a rally led by the Angami Public Organization (APO), a memorandum was submitted to Union Home Minister Amit Shah. It demanded the “immediate revocation of the new guidelines for movement of indigenous Nagas in their own ancestral homeland,” arguing that ”forcing our people to obtain a border pass to move in their own land is unacceptable as it is tantamount to taking permission to move around in one’s own house.”
The APO further asserted that ”constructing fences along the border and dividing our people and our land is an outright violation of our indigenous rights.” They called for the full restoration of FMR.
Similar rallies were reported in Eastern Nagaland, with the ENPO declaring, ”The right to free movement is essential for preserving the unity, dignity and integrity of the Naga people.”
In Manipur, the Chandel Naga People’s Organization (CNPO) and the All Naga Students Association of Manipur (ANSAM) organized their own protests, referencing international conventions. They cited Article 3 of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and Article 1 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to justify their claim to self-determination.
The Nagalim Voice concluded the article by reminding readers of the historical roots of the Naga movement, invoking the 1929 memorandum to the Simon Commission, the 1947 Declaration of Independence, and the 1951 Naga Plebiscite.
“For over 75 years the Nagas have given blood, tears and sweats to defend our history, culture, dignity and rights as sovereign nation,” it read.