Nagaland tribal body opposes move to fence India-Myanmar border

The Tenyimi Union Nagaland, representing five major tribal communities in the state, has opposed the Union government’s plan to fence the India-Myanmar border, warning that it would severely hurt the Naga people, their livelihoods and cultural ties, PTI reported on Thursday.

The group argues that the fence will isolate communities and restrict access to education and healthcare.

“The fence is not just a physical barrier, it is an assault on our identity, heritage and dignity,” said the group’s chief Kekhwengulo Lea in a statement.

The Tenyimi Union Nagaland urged the Union government to reconsider its decision to fence the border, emphasising the need to protect the tribal communities’ ancestral lands.

“The Free Movement Regime introduced in the 1950s allowed limited cross-border travel, but successive regulations have since curtailed this, severely affecting the Naga communities’ ability to maintain cross-border social, cultural and economic ties,” Lea was quoted as saying.

The Tenyimi Union Nagaland also called on all Naga persons, communities and organisations to unite against the plan to fence the border and protect the Naga people’s future from division, PTI reported.

In February, the Union government said that it would end India’s free movement regime pact with Myanmar and seal the border.

The free movement regime, which has been in place since the 1970s, allows visa-free movement for...

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