Tripartite Talks on Border Fencing and Free Movement Regime in Manipur

Key Discussions in Imphal

Imphal, Dec 23: A new round of discussions involving the Central Government, the Manipur Government, and the United Naga Council (UNC) took place on Monday in Imphal, focusing on border fencing and the Free Movement Regime (FMR).

The meeting was led by AK Mishra, Advisor (North East) from the Ministry of Home Affairs, representing the government, while the UNC delegation was headed by its president, Ng Lorho.

According to UNC leaders, both parties reached a consensus to maintain the current status regarding border fencing until a resolution is found. They acknowledged the pressing need to collaboratively seek a lasting solution and agreed to reconvene for further discussions in January 2026.

During the talks, UNC representatives expressed concerns over what they termed 'unreasonable checks' by security forces, which they believe harass the local populace. The government officials assured they would address these issues.

It is important to note that previous discussions on the FMR and border fencing, held on August 26 in Delhi, ended without agreement, prompting the UNC to declare a 'trade embargo' in Naga areas starting September 8, 2025, although this was lifted shortly thereafter.

On August 26, an 11-member Naga team met with eight government representatives at a location in Delhi, but the talks concluded without any progress.

The UNC leaders had previously insisted that ongoing border fencing construction should be paused if dialogue was to continue.