I am optimistic that the Indo-Myanmar border in Mizoram will not be fenced-Mizoram CM

Against the backdrop of escalating tensions in Mizoram following the Centre’s decision to revoke the Free Movement Regime (FMR) and erect a fence along the Indo-Myanmar border, Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma today sought to reassure civil societies and the public, urging them to remain calm. Speaking at a press conference upon his return from a three-day official visit to the National Capital, Lalduhoma stated that he had extensively discussed the issue of the proposed removal of FMR and border fencing with Union Home Minister Amit Shah. “While the Union Home Minister did not explicitly confirm the abandonment of the border fencing or the retention of FMR, based on our discussions, I am optimistic that the Indo-Myanmar border in Mizoram will not be fenced. I urge all stakeholders not to panic; there is no cause for alarm,” he said, emphasizing his appeal for calm assurance.

Even as Lalduhoma said this, Mizoram NGO Coordination Committee, a conglomerate of major NGOs and students’ organisations in Mizoram, on Tuesday sent a memorandum to Union Home Minister through the state governor, urging him to reconsider the decision to remove the FMR and fencing of India and Myanmar border in Mizoram. The memorandum urged India, being a signatory of UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP) 2007, to assert the rights of indigenous people who are divided by international borders.

“The Free Movement Regime is vital mechanism in maintaining the ethnic and cultural linkages between the Mizo people living on both sides of the border,” the memorandum said. The NGOCC opined that ending the FMR and fencing the border would have detrimental effect on “these vital ethnic and cultural connections, disrupting the harmonious coexistence and cultural exchange that has been integral to the lives of the Mizo people living in both sides of the two neighbouring countries.