Aizawl: The Young Mizo Association (YMA), Mizoram’s largest civil society organisation, has called on Union Home Minister Amit Shah to reconsider the Centre’s decision to fence the India-Myanmar border and lift the Free Movement Regime (FMR).
The YMA, representing over four lakh members in the state, submitted a memorandum to Shah during his recent visit, highlighting the potential adverse impacts of these measures on ethnic and cultural ties between the Mizo communities in India and Myanmar.
The YMA argued that the FMR has been instrumental in maintaining ethnic and cultural connections and fostering brotherhood among Mizos across the border.
The memorandum expressed concerns that fencing the border and abolishing the FMR would disrupt these bonds, affecting the harmonious coexistence and livelihoods of the Mizo people on both sides.
Mizoram currently shelters over 40,000 refugees from Myanmar’s Chin State, along with thousands of displaced individuals from Bangladesh and Manipur, reflecting its deep cultural ties with these communities.
The association also urged the Centre to extend financial assistance for relief efforts supporting refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the state.
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Additional demands included upgrading Lengpui Airport, allocating more funds to combat drug trafficking, including the Mizo language in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution, and establishing a Mizo battalion under the Border Security Force.
During the meeting, Shah assured the YMA of the airport’s upgradation, to be executed by the Airports Authority of India within six months.
He also promised financial aid for refugee relief efforts and suggested that the YMA send representatives to Delhi for further deliberations on the border fencing and FMR issues.
