Photos from May 2024 depicting the India-Myanmar border near the International Trade Centre, DAN in Pangsha, Noklak district, Nagaland, underscore the border’s fluid nature. The Khiamniungan Naga community has freely moved across this boundary for generations. However, a contentious issue has arisen as the Tenyimi Union Nagaland (TUN) has voiced strong opposition to India’s proposed border fencing project in the region.
On January 8, in Kohima, the TUN urgently appealed to the Government of India to halt the fencing plans, described as a “divisive and regressive policy.” The Union argued for meaningful dialogue with Naga stakeholders before imposing decisions impacting their ancestral lands. During its Foundation Day on June 22, 2024, the TUN resolved to support the Nagaland Legislative Assembly’s March 1 decision, urging the government to reconsider the fence proposal.
The TUN warned that the fence would further split the Naga people, severing their historical, cultural, and familial connections, which predate the establishment of modern India and Myanmar. These boundaries, introduced post-independence, were arbitrarily drawn without Naga consent, fragmenting their homeland.
In the 1950s, a Free Movement Regime allowed travel up to 40 km across the border, acknowledging the shared heritage of communities on both sides. Changes in 1968 reduced this to 16 km and confined crossings to points like Pangsau, Moreh, and Zokhawthar. This tightening has hampered Naga communities’ economic, social, and cultural interactions.
Highlighting the severe impact of the proposed fence, the TUN noted potential disruptions to families, economic activities, and social ties, as exemplified by Longwa village, where the fence would divide a home. The Union urged collective resistance against this project to protect Naga identity and dignity, calling for unity among Naga individuals and organizations in defending their land and future.
Original Source: https://www.morungexpress.com/immediately-halt-border-fencing-project-in-naga-territories-tun-urges-union-govt
Category : Nagaland
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Publish Date: 2025-01-09 01:51:00
