“Cancelling FMR praiseworthy, Kuki-Zo Chieftainship also needs abolition”, Imphal Times, February 9, 2024:

“The Home Ministry’s decision to suspend reflects a recognition of the need for revaluation of its northeastern policy. FMR led to a slow osmosis of Myanmar’s nationals to become Indian citizens much before the war started in Myanmar. The ongoing conflict is borne out of India’s failure to manage its border has been stated by many in the valley. For this, the Home Minister and Chief Minister should be praised. It is commendable that the root cause now has been addressed.

However, the effects of a long-term implementation of FMR whose fruits as a society we are reaping now have to be dealt with as soon as possible because these effects have become their own problems now. They have to be addressed too as they have now become their own major problems; the already existing large number of Kuki-Zo villages encroaching on the lands of other communities, poppy plantations and illegal taxation along with other criminal activities by Kuki militants.

There is no remark by the Home Ministers on these matters at all till now.The situation might slowly improve if FMR is removed could be the idea behind the silence of the political leadership on other matters. However, the other problems have also become fundamental given that preceding governments have never bothered to look at FMR’s implications for their political gains. So, these matters need to be addressed too along with FMR. These problems will not go away by just cancelling FMR……”

Read the full article at Imphaltimes.com