1. Longwa Village Chief Angh, Tonyei Phawang, strongly opposes the termination of the Free Movement Regime (FMR) by the Indian government.
2. The village, divided by the international border, faces the prospect of a border fence, disrupting the lives of families and lands united for centuries.
3. Phawang calls on the state government to resist scrapping the FMR and constructing the border fence, emphasizing the social and cultural ties at stake.
Kohima, Feb 02: Tonyei Phawang, the chief angh (traditional leader) of Longwa village in Nagaland, has strongly opposed the Indian government’s decision to terminate the Free Movement Regime (FMR) and construct a border fence along the India-Myanmar boundary.
Longwa village, home to around 6,000 people, holds a unique position straddling the international border, with half of its territory in India and the other half in Myanmar.
This geographical peculiarity has allowed the villagers to live under a single administration, sharing one church and one anghship, fostering strong social and cultural ties despite residing in two nations.
The FMR, which allowed tribes on both sides of the border to travel up to 16 km into each other’s territories without needing a visa or passport, played a crucial role in enhancing social and cultural connections.
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However, on January 20, 2024, Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced plans to construct a border fence and abolish the FMR, citing ongoing deliberations over the existing agreement with Myanmar.
Phawang vehemently opposed these measures, stressing that they would disrupt the social and cultural fabric of border communities, especially in Longwa.
He pointed out that the village, established in the 16th century, was divided during a boundary demarcation in 1970-71, a process carried out without the full understanding of the local populace.
The chief angh emphasized that the proposed border fence would forcibly separate families and lands that have been united for centuries.
In response to these developments, Phawang called upon the state government, led by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, to oppose the scrapping of the FMR and the construction of the border fence.
He expressed his commitment to fully cooperate with any efforts to address this issue, recognizing the high stakes for the community he represents.
The elimination of the FMR and the proposed border fencing have raised significant concerns among the Naga tribes and other residents of the border areas.
This move jeopardizes the relatively peaceful coexistence and interdependence that have flourished through the free movement across the Indo-Myanmar border.
The situation has sparked widespread apprehension about the potential consequences for the social and cultural integrity of these border communities.
