Kohima: The Nagaland government is organising a high-level consultative meeting on 30 April to deliberate on critical issues emanating from the Central Government’s proposal to scrap the Free Movement Regime (FMR) along the India-Myanmar border.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has announced plans to end the FMR and start border fencing along the India-Myanmar border. This move has sparked widespread opposition in Nagaland and other northeastern states.
Nagaland, along with Mizoram, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh, share a 1643 km unfenced and porous border. The Centre’s plan to erect fencing on this stretch is estimated to cost Rs 31,000 crore.
The FMR currently allows residents along the border to travel up to 16 km into each other’s territory without a visa. The MHA wants instead a pass-based scheme for residents living within 10 km on either side of the border. This is to allay apprehensions on national security.
However, the state critics argue that the move would disrupt age-old ethnic, social, cultural and economic ties among Naga communities living across the international boundary.
The high-level 30 April meeting would also discuss the Protected Area Permit (PAP) and the enforcement of the Inner Line Permit (ILP). It will also review recent political developments in the state and strategies for maintaining peace and public order.
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