The latest in the opposition to the India-Myanmar border fencing and scrapping of the Free Movement Regime (FMR) is the Naga Insurgent Groups (NSCN-IIM), who have come out strongly against the decision. The NSCN-IM is currently in the process of peace talks with the Government of India.

Several civil societies in the states of Manipur, Nagaland and Mizoram have expressed their resentment and also sent numerous representations to the central government to rethink the plan. The state governments of Mizoram and Nagaland in particular have also expressed their disapproval and have made it known to the centre.

In October this year, villagers in Kamjong, Manipur’s east district, came out in large numbers, led by village chiefs, to block officials from conducting surveys for the border fencing. They have warned the official of dire consequences if they continue the inspection.

The rationale and subsequent decision to fence the Indo-Myanmar border came in the aftermath of the violent conflict between the Meiteis and the Kuki-Zo ethnic communities of Manipur. The violence has left over 200 dead; hundreds of homes and villages rage to the ground, with over 60,000 people displaced. More than a year now, the situation still remains tense and volatile.

Union home minister Amit Shah, in his address to the media on the completion of the 100 days of NDA government in September, mentioned that as long as 30 km of fencing have been completed by now. And that the Cabinet has approved Rs 31,000 crore for fencing of the Indo-Myanmar border.

The total length of the India-Myanmar border is 1,643 kilometres, running through the states of Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Nagaland.

It may be mentioned that there is a large influx of refugees mainly in Mizoram and Manipur after the coup in Myanmar in February 2021. Though there are no official records of the refugee population, media reports suggest there are over 60,000 in Mizoram and over 5,000 in Manipur. Many of them have also been reportedly deported from Manipur.

The cause of the Manipur crisis is being attributed to the “infiltration” from the neighbouring country. The violent conflict is said to be instigated and escalated by “illegal immigrants” coming in from across the border. They were allegedly said to be the armed insurgent groups, or “Kuki militants”—a term that has gained popularity ever since the Manipur crisis erupted last year.

Moreover, the FMR that allows free movement of 16 km inside each of the territories of the two neighbouring countries—India and Myanmar—has been scrapped on the Indian side. This ending of free movement was confirmed by Amit Shah. With this, the home minister stated that people will no longer be permitted to visit the Indian territory without a visa. The response or reaction from Myanmar is not known nor reported in this regard.

Even as there is constant human movement along the border, the FMR was formally implemented in 2018 as part of India’s Act East policy. The Look East Policy was rechristened Act East Policy in 2014, giving more impetus to the development of India’s north-east states. The FMR was implemented to further enhance border trade and people-to-people contact between border communities of the two neighbouring countries.

In the current context, fencing of the border is considered a necessity to curb the menace of “infiltration” that is said to be the main cause of the ongoing crisis in Manipur. The decision for fencing the border is essentially on account of security concerns in Manipur. The other security measures include conducting combing operations and an unified command under the Home Ministry. A total of over 60,000 security personnel are deployed in Manipur.

Communities living along the Indo-Myanmar borders have close ethnic ties and are in constant engagement with each other. People living along the borders on both sides were criss-crossing the border on a daily basis, either for trade or for visiting each other. There is ongoing economic activity between the communities. These border economies have sustained since time immemorial.

Thus, the decision to scrap the FMR and fence the border comes as a hard blow. Not only is the physical movement being curtailed, the local economy too is being severely impacted.

In fact, the concept of border fencing and ending the FMR to control movement of militant groups or armed insurgents from Myanmar to India or for control of drug trafficking has raised some questions.

According to Rahul K Bhonsle, a military veteran and Director, Security Risks Asia, border fencing is viable on the India-Pakistan and India-Bangladesh borders, but in the hilly and jungle-infested terrain of the Indo-Myanmar border, it is not so due to geographic factors. Bhonsle observed that since the routes of human movement are well established, it would have been more cost-effective to block these routes rather than take up the costly affairs of fencing the entire length of the international border.

Since the local communities in Northeast India have deep linkages and familial associations with communities on the other side of the border, Bhonsle said that it is natural for the communities to feel resentful over the move to fence the border and scarp the free movement. Bhonsle feels that the recent decision over the Indo-Myanmar border will create grievances amongst the people in the North East who are already reeling from a perception of separation from the mainstream.

Whether scrapping the Free Movement Regime will prevent cross-border drug trafficking and militant movements is a “question mark,” says Bhonsle, who has been observing the region for decades.

While there has been no report of Myanmar’s reaction or response over the scrapping of the FMR, Bhonsle says, “At present Myanmar is going through its own crisis bordering on civil war, thus reaction on the FMR is unlikely soon.”

Bhonsle observed that the whole policy on border management needs to be devised. And that it is important and crucial to take the local communities in the border areas into confidence rather than believing that they are enemies of the state.

Meanwhile, since the Covid pandemic of 2020 and later the 2021 military coup in Myanmar, the border gate known as the “Indo-Myanmar Friendship Gate” in Manipur has remained closed till today. With the ongoing crisis in Manipur, the gates are unlikely to reopen soon.

In Mizoram, the “friendship gate” closes and opens depending on the situation on the border, such as events of attacks between the Myanmar Junta and the resistance groups. Recently, the Mizoram-Myanmar gate remained closed due to the general election and has not been reopened. While the security forces are tight-lipped, the continued closure is believed to be due to the announcement of the end of the FMR.

The writer is an independent contributor.