Imphal, August 28: The Wesean Student Federation (WSF) has strongly condemned the Central government’s decision to scrap the Free Movement Regime (FMR), terming it a direct assault on the historic, cultural, and social ties shared by border communities across Northeast India and Myanmar.
In a statement issued by its Executive Council, the Federation emphasised that the FMR was “not a bureaucratic convenience but a recognition of living human ties — kinship, marriage, livelihood, ritual and memory — that long predated the modern borders.” It warned that scrapping the arrangement would “sever families, extinguish livelihoods, and criminalise ways of life that have existed for centuries.”
The WSF noted that the move, announced in 2024, affects not only the Nagas but also Zos, Kachins, Meiteis, and other border peoples. It criticised the government’s biometric mapping of tens of thousands of residents, calling it an intrusive practice disguised as security but resulting in division of families and communities.
Demanding immediate restoration of the FMR, the Federation also called for a halt to border fencing through village lands and urged meaningful consultation with local community institutions. Additionally, it sought transparency on India’s policy towards Myanmar’s military junta, pressing for the publication of verifiable details on any security cooperation that might fuel ongoing violence in the neighbouring country.
Citing the ethnic violence in Manipur since May 2023, which claimed hundreds of lives and displaced thousands, the WSF accused the Centre of prioritising mineral mapping in the Northeast over addressing people’s suffering. “Where was India when Manipur burned?” the statement asked.
Expressing solidarity with the United Naga Council and other regional organisations, the WSF vowed to back every lawful protest and negotiation forum. “The peoples of Wesea will not be reduced to security targets on a map. We will not allow our histories, families and futures to be fenced off, fingerprinted or monetised,” it declared.
