March 16, 2025: The Central Young Mizo Association (CYMA), Aizawl-Mizoram, has asked Union Home Minister Amit Shah to reconsider its decision to abolish the Free Movement Regime (FMR) and to stop the implementation of border fencing along the Indo-Myanmar border.
In a memorandum submitted to the Union Home Minister during his visit to Mizoram on Saturday, it said that the Free Movement Regime (FMR) has been a vital mechanism in maintaining the ethnic and cultural linkages between the Mizo on both sides of the border (India and Myanmar). The proposed abolition of the Free Movement Regime (FMR) and the implementation of border fencing would have a detrimental effect on these vital ethnic and cultural connections, disrupting the harmonious coexistence and cultural exchange that has been integral to the lives of the Mizo people.
The memorandum has also asked for the allocation of funds for refugees and IDPs in Mizoram. It said the state has accommodated over 40,000 Chin and other refugees from Myanmar since the 2021 military coup in Myanmar, about 2,000 refugees from Bangladesh, and about 12,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Manipur.
CYMA also requested the upgradation of state-owned Lengpui Airport, which was constructed in December 1995 and inaugurated on December 12, 1998, by the then Home Minister LK Advani. In its memorandum, CYMA also asked for funds to combat the issue of illegal drug trafficking and drug use and the inclusion of the Mizo language in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, being a major language in Mizoram.
