SENAPATI, Oct 30:   The Nagaland Indigenous Peoples Forum (NIPF) and the Zo Reunification Organisation (ZORO) have voiced strong objections to the central government’s ongoing initiative to construct border fencing along the Indo-Myanmar border in the Manipur districts of Tengnoupal, Chandel, and Churachandpur. In a joint press release on Wednesday, they condemned the government’s decision to resume construction despite previous protests that had successfully halted the project.

“The government is now aggressively pushing for the resumption of the construction, even deploying central forces to enforce its decision,” the statement noted, criticizing the central government’s insensitivity to the concerns of indigenous communities. They warned that the border fence threatens the cultural heritage and lifestyle of the local populace, as it bisects villages and imposes limitations on traditional practices and cross-border interactions.

Both the organizations expressed shock over the abrupt termination of the Free Movement Regime (FMR), which was formalized in 2018 under the Act East policy by the BJP government. “ It is quite bewildering why the BJP government is acting against its own policy. Keeping aside the national security concern of the central government the whole gamut seems an appeasement policy towards a particular community.,” they stated.

NIPF and ZORO criticized the central government for neglecting to consult stakeholders and bypassing international conventions designed to protect indigenous rights. “By disregarding the need for consultation with stakeholders and bypassing international conventions protecting indigenous rights, the central government is violating the fundamental rights of the indigenous communities living along the border,” they emphasized, referring to India’s commitment to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).

They called for a balanced approach that respects both national security and human rights. “Border management in Manipur and the northeast should not occur at the expense of disenfranchising indigenous communities,” they argued, urging an immediate halt to the construction of the border fence to safeguard the rights and well-being of indigenous people.

The NIPF and ZORO also stressed the importance of adopting a more inclusive, rights-based approach to border management to prevent further alienation and marginalization of the very communities that the government is intended to protect.