In a historic moment, Union Home Minister, Amit Shah on Thursday announced that the contentious Free Movement Regime (FMR) between India and Myanmar will be scrapped.
Taking to X, Amit Shah said in a post, “The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has decided that the Free Movement Regime (FMR) between India and Myanmar be scrapped to ensure the internal security of the country and to maintain the demographic structure of India’s North Eastern States bordering Myanmar. Since the Ministry of External Affairs is currently in the process of scrapping it, MHA has recommended the immediate suspension of the FMR.”
“It is Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi Ji’s resolve to secure our borders,” his post also mentioned.
Earlier on Tuesday, Amit Shah had also announced that a fence will be constructed along the entire 1,643 km Indo-Myanmar border.
Notably, Amit Shah’s announcement on Thursday came on the completion of the deadline of 15 days to fulfill a charter of demands by Arambai Tenggol which was raised during the Kangal Declaration of January 24. During the event, all the Meitei legislators including the state MPs alongside the Arambai Tenggol took a collective pledge to safeguard the integrity of Manipur.
The legislators, including the MPs, pledged to address the situation in Manipur by urging the Central government to act on the six charters of demands.
These demands include the implementation of the NRC with 1951 as the base year, abrogation of the SoO agreement with Kuki militants, deportation of Myanmar refugees to Mizoram, international border fencing, replacement of AR with other neutral central forces, and removal of Kuki from the ST list.
Arambai Tenggol had set a deadline of 15 days for the government to meet these demands, with the legislators and MPs expressing their commitment to turning these aspirations into reality. In case of failure, they vowed to join the mass movement of the public. Chief Minister N Biren Singh, however, was not present in the Kangla gathering though he signed the declaration.
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After the declaration, Arambai Tenggol leader Korounganba Khuman announced in a gathering in Khwairamband Keithel in Imphal that “these goals would be pursued at any cost.”
Chief Minister N Biren Singh had also announced while on a visit to New Delhi earlier on Saturday that the Central Government is prepared to make crucial decisions on Manipur which has been witnessing the long-drawn unrest for more than nine months.
The announcement was made after a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi. Matters concerning the strife-torn state were reportedly discussed to urgently bring a concrete resolution to the protracted conflict in Manipur.
Meanwhile, Arambai Tenggol appreciated and welcomed Amit Shah’s announcement to scrap the FMR, noting that the announcement was made on the completion of 15 days after the Kangla declaration.
However, the rest of the five demands are yet to be fulfilled, stated a release. It extended faith that the rest of the demands shall be fulfilled at the earliest.
Arambai Tenggol further appealed to commence an Assembly Session where the legislators and MLAs can table the remaining demands and pass them, and further mount pressure upon the Central Government.
“We believe that the Central government shall respond positively. If not, we shall find one way or the other to save our motherland and our indigenous community,” it stated.
“Finally, Arambai Tenggol while honouring Amit Shah, would like to assert the need to ‘save Manipur to save India from illegal immigrants and narco-terrorism’,” it added.
