KOHIMA, March 7: The Nagaland Assembly has decided to send an all-party delegation to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah to express concerns over the central government’s decision to end the Free Movement Regime (FMR) with Myanmar. The FMR, which allowed people living near the India-Myanmar border to travel up to 16 kilometers into each other’s territory without a visa, was scrapped by the Centre in January 2024.
Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on Friday informed the Assembly that the termination of the FMR would have a significant impact on the historical, social, cultural, and economic ties between Naga communities on both sides of the border. Rio proposed that he would lead the all-party delegation to meet with Shah, a suggestion that was accepted by the House.
The delegation will present the concerns of the Assembly, based on resolutions passed on March 1, 2024, and Cabinet decisions made on February 8, 2024, and January 6, 2025. The FMR had been in place since 2018 as part of India’s Act East policy and governed the 1,643-km-long border, which passes through Nagaland, Mizoram, Manipur, and Arunachal Pradesh.
Rio also mentioned that in December 2024, the Ministry of Home Affairs issued new guidelines restricting movement to 10 kilometers on either side of the border and limiting travel to 43 designated crossing points, nine of which are in Nagaland. People can only cross these points with Border Passes issued by the Assam Rifles.
The Chief Minister stressed that the restrictions would disrupt familial ties, agricultural activities, and access to healthcare and education for communities along the border. He urged the Centre to reconsider these measures on humanitarian grounds. The state government has previously raised these concerns with the Centre, and the Cabinet has requested the continuation of the FMR with appropriate regulations.
