Naga Scholars' Association discusses Free Movement Regime
Naga Scholars' Association discusses Free Movement Regime
The Naga Scholars' Association (NSA) held an online panel discussion on the Free Movement Regime featuring three panellists with firsthand knowledge of the issue
DIMAPUR — The Naga Scholars' Association (NSA)
held an online panel discussion on the Free Movement Regime (FMR) on March 25
via Google Meet, bringing together scholars and experts to examine the impact
of the regime's abolition on cross-border communities.
According to an update, the event, coordinated by NSA
executive secretary Akishe L Jakha, featured three panellists with firsthand
knowledge of the issue.
In his welcome address, NSA President Dr. KC Kharingpam
highlighted the significance of the FMR debate, noting that it directly affects
those living along the border.
Moderating the discussion, NSA general secretary Dr. Apila
Sangtam outlined the history of the FMR, which has existed in a 40 km border
zone since 1967-68. The regime was later reintroduced in 2018 under India's Act
East Policy, reducing the permissible zone to 16 km.
The first speaker, Rev. Dr. Chingmak Chang, co-founder of
ECS Tuensang, described the North Eastern and Burmese border communities as
victims of colonial history, caught between two nations without full
integration into either.
He criticised the Government of India’s approach, stating
that Northeastern communities are often treated as “tourism pieces” rather than
integral members of the Indian nation, and warned against an overly aggressive,
security-driven approach, arguing that scrapping the FMR is not a viable
solution.
He suggested that the FMR could have been a stepping stone
toward a broader regional model similar to the European Union’s open-border
system.
Human rights advocate James Pochury described the removal of
the FMR as part of a broader strategy to confine border communities within
India’s economic and political framework, suppressing the Nagas' aspirations
for self-determination.
He argued that economic restrictions prevent border
communities from achieving financial independence, making them dependent on
state-controlled handouts.
He also highlighted psychological and cultural
"enclosures", claiming that the systematic erasure of historical
memory seeks to reduce the Nagas from a sovereign people to a marginalised
tribal group. He urged the community to resist these enclosures and reclaim
their political agency.
Researcher and Indigenous rights advocate Athong Makury
challenged the legitimacy of the imposed border restrictions.
Speaking from Layshi, Myanmar, he argued that rather than
viewing the issue through the lens of Delhi or Nay Pyi Taw, the Nagas should
recognise the border as an artificial “iron curtain” designed to weaken them.
He stressed that external border policies should not divide a people with a
shared history and identity.
The panellists collectively warned that removing the FMR
would further marginalise border communities and weaken the Naga position. They
called for a peaceful and strategic approach, emphasising people-to-people
dialogue, grassroots mobilisation, and policy advocacy to bring these issues to
the forefront.
