Nagaland CM to Lead All-Party Delegation to Discuss Naga Political Issue & Border Concerns with Amit Shah

An all-party delegation from Nagaland, headed by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, is set to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah to discuss key issues, including the long-standing Naga political dispute and concerns regarding the border fencing and the Free Movement Regime (FMR) along the India-Myanmar border. The meeting will address crucial matters that have been central to the state’s politics.

A senior Nagaland minister revealed that during the state’s recent Assembly session, Chief Minister Rio proposed the formation of an all-party delegation to present these pressing issues to the Union Home Minister in New Delhi. The delegation will specifically highlight the contentious Naga political issue, the implications of the border fencing, and the FMR along the India-Myanmar border.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had previously announced plans to phase out the FMR, which allowed residents living along the India-Myanmar border to travel 16 kilometers across the border without a visa. Instead, the MHA intends to implement a new system that would issue passes for border residents living within 10 kilometers on both sides of the border, in an effort to regulate cross-border movement.

The Nagaland Assembly, in a unanimous decision on March 7, passed a resolution to send the all-party delegation to express the state’s concerns to the Union Home Minister. Chief Minister Rio emphasized that the border restrictions would adversely affect the deep historical, ethnic, social, cultural, and economic ties of the Naga people on both sides of the border.

The delegation will also bring forward the resolutions passed by the Nagaland Assembly on March 1, 2024, and state cabinet decisions from February and January, which reflect the unity of the state in opposing these decisions. The governments of Nagaland and Mizoram, along with numerous political parties and civil society organizations, have strongly opposed both the border fencing and the termination of the FMR.

The border between India and Myanmar, shared by Nagaland, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, and Manipur, stretches over 1,643 kilometers and remains unfenced in many areas. The MHA plans to build a 31,000 crore rupee fence to control illegal activities such as smuggling.

In parallel, the Ministry of Home Affairs has engaged in discussions with the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak-Muivah (NSCN-IM) and other Naga groups, aiming to resume formal talks on the Naga political issue, which has remained unresolved for decades. The government is hopeful of reaching a breakthrough in the long-standing negotiations.