Continue the free movement regime between India and Myanmar?

• Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced in February 2024 that the Free Movement Regime (FMR) along the Myanmar border would be scrapped.
• The decision was based on complaints that unregulated movement from across the border was fueling ethnic conflict in Manipur.
• Mizoram and Nagaland opposed the decision, which has not yet been implemented.
• The FMR was established in 1968 due to familial and ethnic ties between the two sides of the border.
• The territorial limit of free movement was 40 km, reduced to 16 km in 2004, and additional regulations were enforced in 2016.
• Henry Zodinliana Pachuau and Likhase Sangtam discussed the pros and cons of the FMR, highlighting the lack of control over people moving beyond the 16 km specified.
• Henry Zodinliana Pachuau argued that the FMR did not significantly impact the communities along the border, and that the government’s desire to scrap the FMR or fence the India-Myanmar border is security-related.
• Likhase Sangtam argued that the government needs to consider factors such as the instability in Myanmar, the presence of armed groups, the drugs coming from the Golden Triangle, and the Chinese influence in Myanmar.
• The government must take the people into confidence and make a decision.

The Paradox of Borders and Border Control

• Borders define territories, boundaries, and sovereignty, but they also serve as places of meeting people and cultures.
• The Centre’s decision to fence the border is based on complaints from former Manipur Chief Minister about Myanmar’s involvement in ethnic violence.
• The border, which spans nearly 1,700 km, is impractical due to the terrain and length of the border.
• The implementation of a fence is likely to be a challenge, especially if the people are not considered.
• The Forest (Conservation) Amendment Act, 2023, allows the government to use forest areas within 100 km of the international boundary for strategic projects.
• The government’s lack of tact could reinvigorate the people’s demand for a common homeland.
• The FMR is a good way of monitoring border activities, but the ground reality is different.
• India’s Act East policy is a good strategy, but restrictions should ease and proper monitoring be done.
• Legalizing the trade of most goods is suggested as a way to earn money with duties.
• The FMR cannot continue without a mechanism to check the flow of people from Myanmar to India.
• The government needs to educate the people in India about the problems in the region and gradually arrive at a decision.