Urges GoI for meaningful & time-bound dialogue with affected stakeholders
Newmai News Network
Imphal | July 22
The United Naga Council (UNC), the Naga Women Union (NWU), the All Naga Students' Association, Manipur (ANSAM), and the Naga People's Movement for Human Rights-South (NPMHR-S) on Tuesday served a ‘20-day joint ultimatum’ to the Government of India (GoI) in connection with the abrogation of the Free Movement Regime (FMR) and the ongoing border fencing construction in the "Naga ancestral homeland."
Giving 20 days’ time to the GoI to address the issues, the organisations cautioned that “we shall be compelled to resume our protest movement in stronger measure across all the Naga hill districts” if the demands remain unaddressed during the stipulated period.
The joint ultimatum, addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, and Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, was submitted through the Governor of Manipur on Tuesday.
In the joint ultimatum, the four Naga organisations expressed deep concern and strong resentment against the abrogation of the FMR along the “imaginary Indo-Myanmar border” and the accelerated ongoing border fencing construction across the ancestral Naga homeland without due consultation with the affected indigenous communities.
This violates the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), particularly Articles 8, 26, and 36, which has been endorsed by India, they contended.
Stiff opposition
They also placed on record a considerable number of activities registering their stiff opposition to the abrogation of the FMR and the construction of the border fencing, including press statements, picketing of government offices, public demonstrations of protest and rallies, and submission of memoranda.
One such reference includes a memorandum submitted to the Union Home Minister on January 19, 2024, through the Deputy Commissioner of Senapati district by the UNC, while ANSAM also submitted a similar representation on February 1, 2025.
Another memorandum was submitted to the Prime Minister of India through the Deputy Commissioner by the Chandel Naga People's Organisation (CNPO) after a rally in Chandel on February 12, 2025. Following a similar rally in Kamjong, another memorandum was submitted to the Governor of Manipur on February 21, 2025, by the Tangkhul Naga Zingsho Longphang.
The joint ultimatum also referred to a mass rally in Ukhrul organised by the Tangkhul Naga Long (TNL) under the aegis of the UNC and the submission of a memorandum to the Prime Minister on April 2, 2025, through the Deputy Commissioner of Ukhrul. ANSAM also submitted a representation to the Governor of Manipur on February 26, 2025, followed by the UNC on May 2, 2025.
On June 20, 2025, ANSAM once again highlighted the issue to the Prime Minister of India, the Ministry of External Affairs, and the Union Home Minister through the Governor of Manipur.
On the same day, the Naga Students' Union, Chandel (NSUC), Senapati District Students' Association (SDSA), and Tangkhul Katamnao Saklong (TKS) also submitted separate but similar memoranda addressed to the Prime Minister, Union Home Minister, and the Governor of Manipur.
The most recent submission was made to the Governor of Manipur on July 12 by the Tangkhul Naga Long (TNL), the ultimatum highlighted.
Against this backdrop, the UNC, NWU, ANSAM, and NPMHR-S, in the joint ultimatum, stated that they are serving the 20-day ultimatum “towards securing our legitimate rights over our ancestral land and our peoplehood.”
They further demanded that the GoI immediately halt all ongoing border fencing construction and demarcation works in "Naga ancestral lands" and initiate a meaningful and time-bound dialogue with Naga civil societies and affected stakeholders.
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