HT Correspondent
DIMAPUR, Feb 4: The Khiamniungan Tribal Council KTC) said scrapping of the Free Movement Regime (FMR) and border fencing at India-Myanmar border is unacceptable.
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The council said it will be compelled to “counter” if the government of India jeopardizes the oneness of the Khiamniungan people by scrapping the FMR and fencing the border.
In a release, the KTC sought to point out that there are 46 Khiamniungan Naga villages in India, and more than 182 of their villages are under Myanmar.
Saying that there are instances of people holding land on both sides of the border, it said: “This imposition is going to impact our daily activities”. It added that the people who are predominantly dependent on agriculture will lose major parts of their traditionally owned jhum land and fields if the ‘zero line’ becomes a reality.
The council said the “arbitrary imaginary line” that demarcated “our soil” from BP139 Thongsonyu to BP146 ITC (DAN) Pangsha was neither consented to nor accepted by the Khiamniungan people.
The oneness, peaceful coexistence and mutual respect for social, and cultural ties and brotherhood of the people living in “Khiamniungan land” in the two countries of India and Myanmar for generations should not be jeopardized by the restriction of the free movement and erection of fencing, it stressed.
Further, it said the Khiamniungans are living under one flag, motto and emblem irrespective of the “artificial” Indo-Myanmar border and never lived as a divided tribe since time immemorial.
Appealing to the government of India not to make a comparison with the Manipur issue, the KTC said the Khiamniungan people are a peace-loving tribe living on both sides of the border and are safeguarding the region from anti-social elements. It added that the “pretense” of controlling the smuggling of illegal substances is unjustifiable.
The KTC urged the governments at the Centre and in Nagaland to expedite the infrastructure and developmental programmes at the designated ITC Dan at Pangsha in Noklak district of Nagaland and realise the Act East Policy of bringing the people from both sides of the border together for peace and development instead of dividing the Naga citizens.
