The United Naga Council (UNC), in collaboration with the All Naga Students’ Association, Manipur (ANSAM), Naga Women’s Union (NWU), and the Naga Peoples Movement for Human Rights – South (NPMHR-S), has issued a 20-day ultimatum to the Ministry of External Affairs, opposing the abrogation of the Free Movement Regime (FMR) and the ongoing border fencing along the Indo-Myanmar border in Naga ancestral lands.
Submitted via the Governor of Manipur to External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar, the memorandum denounces the Centre’s decision as unilateral and imposed without consulting the indigenous communities directly affected.
The organisations have accused the government of breaching the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), particularly Articles 8, 26, and 36, which India has endorsed.
They also referenced previous protests and memoranda sent to the Prime Minister and Union Home Minister from districts like Senapati, Chandel, Ukhrul, and Kamjong, all calling for respect for indigenous rights.
Their demands include revoking the FMR abrogation, halting border work, and initiating timely dialogue. Failure to respond within 20 days will trigger widespread protests.