Ukhrul, May 2: The United Naga Council (UNC) submitted a detailed memorandum to the Governor of Manipur, Ajay Kumar Bhalla, demanding urgent intervention on two critical issues affecting the Naga people on Friday.
A team of UNC led by its president NG. Lorho, President and general secretary Vareiyo Shatsang, called on to the Governor at 1:30 pm today told UNC to Ukhrul Times.
The two key issued raised in a memorandum were the reinstatement of the Free Movement Regime (FMR) along the Indo-Myanmar border and the rollback of newly created districts in Manipur.
The UNC strongly opposed the Government of India’s February 2024 decision to scrap the FMR, which had allowed ethnic Naga communities to travel up to 16 km across the Indo-Myanmar border without visa restrictions. The Council highlighted that this regime, rooted in historical agreements and traditional cross-border relationships, had enabled vital socio-cultural and economic interactions among Naga people separated by the colonial-era boundary.
“The abrupt termination of the Free Movement Regime and the ongoing construction of the Indo-Myanmar border fence have severed familial, spiritual, and economic ties that are integral to our existence,” the memorandum stated. The Council cited international provisions such as Article 36 of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2007), which affirms the right of indigenous communities to maintain cross-border relations.
The memorandum also raised environmental concerns, noting that the fencing project violates international conventions on migratory species and disrupts ecological corridors essential for wildlife.
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On the district reorganisation issue, the UNC reiterated its long-standing demand to roll back the creation of seven new districts by the Manipur government in December 2016. The UNC recalled that the unilateral move violated prior memoranda of understanding and sparked widespread protests, including a 139-day economic blockade. Despite 13 rounds of Tripartite Talks with the Government of India and the Government of Manipur, the UNC pointed out that no substantive proposal has yet been tabled to address the issue.
The United Naga Council questioned recent administrative decisions, including the listing of ‘Kangpokpi’ as an Autonomous District Council, calling it a “diabolical policy” contrary to the spirit of ongoing negotiations.
Calling for the Governor’s personal intervention, the UNC stressed that rectifying these “colossal injustices” would help restore peace, confidence, and goodwill among the indigenous Naga communities.