SENAPATI, June 23: Government offices across the Naga-inhabited hill districts of Manipur remained non-functional on Monday, marking the first day of a five-day office picketing protest spearheaded by the All Naga Students’ Association, Manipur (ANSAM).
In Senapati district, the agitation initiated by the Senapati District Students’ Association (SDSA) was scheduled to run until June 27.
The protest is a direct response to the Indian government’s decision to scrap the Free Movement Regime (FMR) and commence construction of border fencing along the Indo-Myanmar border. According to ANSAM, these developments threaten long-standing cultural, social, and ancestral ties shared by Naga communities across the international boundary.
Government offices came to a standstill in several hill districts — Senapati, Ukhrul, Tamenglong and Chandel. The decision to launch the protest was taken during ANSAM’s Presidential Council Meeting held on June 16 in Senapati. They clarified that the agitation is not an isolated act but a collective demonstration of frustration against what they call an “unconsulted and imposed” border demarcation.
ANSAM further warned that any untoward incidents during the course of the protest would be the sole responsibility of the government of India and government of Manipur. They reiterated that the agitation is being conducted peacefully and in a disciplined manner.
