SENAPATI, Dec 23: The Central Government, the Manipur government and the United Naga Council (UNC) on Monday held another round of tripartite talks in Imphal on issues related to border fencing and the Free Movement Regime (FMR), with the meeting ending in a status quo on the contentious border fencing issue.
The government side was led by A.K. Mishra, Advisor (North East), Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), while a nine-member UNC delegation was headed by its president, Ng Lorho.
UNC leaders later said that both sides agreed to maintain the status quo on border fencing until a mutually acceptable solution is reached. The meeting also recognised the need to jointly explore ways and means for a permanent resolution of the issues. It was decided that the next round of talks would be held in January 2026.
During the discussions, the UNC raised concerns over what it described as “unreasonable checking” by security agencies, alleging harassment of the general public. Government representatives assured the delegation that the matter would be examined.
The latest meeting follows the failure of earlier talks held in New Delhi on August 26, 2025, between UNC-led Naga organisations and government representatives, which ended in a deadlock over FMR and border fencing. In the aftermath, the UNC had announced a “trade embargo in Naga areas” under its jurisdiction from midnight of September 8, 2025, though the agitation was withdrawn a few days later.
The August 26 talks in Delhi involved an 11-member Naga delegation and an eight-member government team and concluded without consensus. According to UNC leaders, they had then maintained that if dialogue was to continue, ongoing border fencing construction works should be kept on hold.
