Manipur's apex Naga body gets invitation to hold talks with Centre on border fencing, FMR

Imphal, Aug 20 (PTI) Manipur's apex Naga body, the United Naga Council (UNC), on Wednesday received an invitation from the Ministry of Home Affairs to attend a meeting with the Centre at New Delhi on August 26 to discuss its concerns on fencing of the India-Myanmar border and scrapping of the Free Movement Regime (FMR), officials said.

The development comes four days after a UNC delegation met Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla at the Raj Bhavan in Imphal over the two issues.

A letter sent by A K Mishra, Advisor (North East) to the Ministry of Home Affairs, to UNC president Ng Lorho formally requested the presence of UNC team at the meeting.

Naga groups in Manipur have been opposing the India-Myanmar border fencing in Naga-majority areas and the scrapping of the FMR. Manipur shares a 398-km-long border with the neighbouring country.

Lorho, after meeting the governor on August 16, had told reporters that a Naga delegation shared its views and concerns on matters related to FMR and border fencing, and requested the governor to take it up with the Centre.

Naga bodies in Manipur had on July 22 submitted a memorandum to the Centre demanding an immediate halt to the fencing of the India-Myanmar border and restoration of FMR within 20 days.

The Naga bodies, which included the United Naga Council, All Naga Students' Association, Manipur, Naga Women's Union and Naga People's Movement for Human Rights SOUTH, submitted the petition through Bhalla.

The Ministry of Home Affairs in February last year decided to scrap FMR, which allowed people residing close to the India-Myanmar border to venture 16 km into each other's territory without any documents, and also fence the entire 1,643-km-long international boundary.

People from several northeastern states, particularly Nagas from Nagaland and Manipur, Kukis from Manipur and Mizos from Mizoram, have opposed the move stating it will disconnect them from their kin across the border. PTI COR ACD