Senapati: The United Naga Council (UNC) has announced that it will intensify its agitation against the Centre’s decision to scrap the Free Movement Regime (FMR) and construct border fencing in what it claims as the “Naga ancestral homeland.”
This was announced after the “emergency presidential council meeting” of the UNC held on August 11 in Manipur’s Senapati.
The meeting was attended by presidents of all Naga tribe hohos under the United Naga Council.
The apex Naga body said that its 20-day ultimatum to the Central and Manipur governments had expired without resolution.
The UNC stated it was “left with no choice” but to escalate protests against what it termed the “unilateral abrogation” of the FMR and fencing in “Naga homeland.”
“As discussed and resolved in today’s ’emergency presidential council meeting’, we were left with no choice but to escalate our movement against the government’s stance to implement border fencing and scrapping of the Free Movement Regime (FMR),” it said.
The council said it would announce the mode of agitation and its operational plan within 15 days, calling on all constituent, subordinate, and associate units, along with allied organisations such as the All Naga Students’ Association, Manipur (ANSAM) and the Naga Women’s Union (NWU), to mobilise resources and prepare for collective action.
The UNC stated that the Naga people have democratically expressed their opposition to the government’s actions through a series of protests, public rallies, and official memorandums.
It lamented the government’s failure to address longstanding grievances over border fencing and the FMR, despite what it called “consistent democratic protests” by the Naga people.
However, due to the government’s indifference, the council believes a more stringent approach is necessary. “Yet, the indifferent attitude of the government demands a stringent action to address and redress our grievances,” the council said.
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“We shall remain steadfast and committed to the protection of Naga rights, culture, and traditional ties and stand firm in our demands and fight for the future of our people,” UNC added.
