Manipur: Naga bodies issue 20-day ultimatum to Centre over border fencing, FMR rollback

The United Naga Council (UNC), along 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, Government of India, opposing the abrogation of the Free Movement Regime (FMR) and the ongoing border fencing in Naga ancestral territory along the Indo-Myanmar border.

The ultimatum, submitted through the Governor of Manipur to External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar, expresses deep anguish over what the organisations term an “imposed and unilateral” move by the Centre without consultation with the affected indigenous communities. 

The statement also accuses the Government of violating the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), particularly Articles 8, 26, and 36, which India has endorsed.

The signatories have reminded the Centre of numerous earlier protests and memoranda submitted to high-level officials, including the Prime Minister and Union Home Minister. 

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These include rallies and memoranda from Senapati, Chandel, Ukhrul, and Kamjong districts between January and July 2025, all reiterating the same demand: respect for indigenous land rights and an immediate halt to border demarcation activities.

The joint memorandum outlines three key demands:

Immediate revocation of the FMR abrogation order.

Immediate cessation of all border fencing and demarcation work in Naga ancestral areas.

Time-bound and meaningful dialogue with Naga civil society organisations and affected stakeholders.

The groups have warned that failure to act within 20 days from the date of the ultimatum will result in the resumption of intensified protest actions across all Naga hill districts in Manipur.