According to volunteers of the All Naga Students’ Association, Manipur (ANSAM), government offices across Naga-inhabited hill districts remained non-functional on Monday, the first day of the association’s five-day office picketing protest. The volunteers reported that the response to the agitation, which began under the initiative of the Senapati District Students’ Association (SDSA), was widespread, with most government establishments in Senapati, Ukhrul, Tamenglong, Chandel, and Kangpokpi districts wearing a deserted look.
ANSAM volunteers conveyed that the protest was being carried out in opposition to the scrapping of the Free Movement Regime (FMR) and the ongoing construction of border fencing along the Indo-Myanmar border. They said that these actions posed a serious threat to the cultural, traditional, and ancestral ties shared among Naga communities living on both sides of the border.
Volunteers informed that the decision to launch the agitation stemmed from a resolution adopted during the Presidential Council Meeting of ANSAM held on June 16 at Senapati. They said the protest was not an isolated move, but rather a reflection of the collective frustration and deep resentment among the Naga population over what they described as a border imposed without consultation or consent.
The volunteers further stated that ANSAM had cautioned both the Central and State governments that any unrest or adverse incidents resulting from the protest would be their responsibility. They emphasized that the agitation was being carried out in a peaceful and disciplined manner.
They also reported that ANSAM had recently reached out to international organizations, including the United Nations and the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO), through formal representations. In their communication, ANSAM is said to have urged global intervention to immediately halt the physical construction of the border fence and to restore the Free Movement Regime, which previously allowed cross-border movement within a 16-kilometre radius without visa restrictions.
ANSAM volunteers expressed concern that the removal of FMR and the fencing initiative could lead to long-term consequences, not just in terms of mobility, but also in social, cultural, environmental, and humanitarian dimensions. They pointed out that the division would further marginalize and alienate indigenous Naga groups who have historically maintained close ties across the international boundary.